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John Cronin

Protesters rally against proposed closure of Leominster Hospital’s maternity ward

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LEOMINSTER — Protesters lined the area of Nelson and North Main streets Tuesday night to oppose the anticipated closing of the maternity ward at Leominster Hospital.

Recently, UMass Memorial Health Alliance-Clinton Hospital Leominster announced the maternity ward would close Sept. 22. However, regulators must first approve the plan. Protesters said the decision would force expectant mothers to travel to places like Gardner, Worcester or Concord to deliver their babies or in an emergency room.

UMass Memorial Health Alliance – Clinton Hospital President Steve Roach cited “industry-wide workforce shortages” and “a declining birth rate” in the region as the rationale for shuttering the birthing center in a statement last week.

The announcement has been met with an overwhelmingly negative response.

“This will really impact low-income families the hardest, and those with travel restrictions,” said one protester who chose not to share their name.

Leominster is home to many families that are low-income or fixed-income, 11% are below the poverty line. Protesters said the closure would put the vulnerable in a very difficult position — forcing them to pay costs for travel in a time of crisis.

Several protesters were asked what or whom they believed to be behind this decision, their responses were similar.

“I can only assume that it has to do with big corporations. These conglomerates buy up everything.” one person said.

“Babies before big bucks” said another.

However, state Sen. John Cronin said big business is not to blame.

State Sen. John Cronin addresses protesters who rallied against the proposed closure of the maternity ward at Leominster Hospital on Tuesday. (COURTESY OFFICE OF STATE REP. NATALIE HIGGINS)
State Sen. John Cronin addresses protesters who rallied against the proposed closure of the maternity ward at Leominster Hospital on Tuesday. (COURTESY OFFICE OF STATE REP. NATALIE HIGGINS)

“This decision was made by one person, Doctor Eric Dickson, the CEO of UMass Memorial health,” Cronin said. “This was a complete failure in leadership to have made this decision without consulting the North Central delegation. What he should have done — what a leader would have done — was let us know what the struggles were so we could keep this service in North Central.”

“Absolute radio silence from UMass Memorial,” Cronin said regarding the failure to communicate with Dickson.

Cronin was not the only member of the delegation in attendance. He was joined by state Reps. Michael Kushmerek, Natalie Higgins and Margaret Scarsdale. Fitchburg Mayor Stephen DiNatale and Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella were also present.

This proposed closure comes just a short six months after UMass Memorial was awarded a state grant based on good relationships with the delegation.

“We take pride in being very good partners with the UMass Memorial health system. We have sent tens of millions of dollars to the UMass Memorial health system and those dollars are from taxpayers, and they are for one reason,” Cronin said.

In regards to fighting the proposed closure, Cronin said, “We are asking Dr. Eric Dickson to withdraw the notice of closure and come to the table with us and tell what UMass needs to keep it open in the community. It’s not asking for a lot.”

For many protesters, the decision carries personal significance. The group was comprised of mothers, many of whom had delivered their children in the very maternity ward that stands to close. They felt as though a piece of their own family’s history would be lost as a result of this decision.

“It feels like it’s a part of our history,” said one citizen. “Both of my children were born here.”

The decision has also been slammed by the Massachusetts Nurses Association. In a statement, Miko Nakagawa, a nurse at Leominster Hospital and co-chair of the nurses local bargaining unit with the MNA, said the decision shows a “blatant disregard of our patients and our region.”

Miko Nakagawa, a nurse at Leominster Hospital and co-chair of the nurses local bargaining unit with the Massachusetts Nurses Association, speaks out against the proposed closure of the maternity ward at Leominster Hospital on Tuesday. (COURTESY OFFICE OF STATE REP. NATALIE HIGGINS)
Miko Nakagawa, a nurse at Leominster Hospital and co-chair of the nurses local bargaining unit with the Massachusetts Nurses Association, speaks out against the proposed closure of the maternity ward at Leominster Hospital on Tuesday. (COURTESY OFFICE OF STATE REP. NATALIE HIGGINS)

“There is no medical or moral justification for this decision, which will have a devastating impact on families, particularly economically disadvantaged residents who lack the ability to travel long distances to receive care in Worcester or Gardner,” Nakagawa added.

The MNA also said nurses in the hospital’s emergency department were concerned about their ability to care for mothers and newborns without the birthing center.

“We struggle now with our emergency department staff to care for our current patient population, and it can take hours to find ambulances to transport patients who need to go to other hospitals. Under these conditions, I don’t see how we could safely manage a mother and baby without the specialized skills and experience of our labor and delivery staff.  It’s downright scary,” said Samantha Rahaim, a nurse in the hospital’s emergency department in the statement.

The MNA also said nurses at the hospital took issue with the hospital’s rationale, believing that staffing shortages are a means for hospital management to increase revenue, at the expense of patient care. The MNA said it has filed dozens of grievances with management over their failure to recruit appropriate staff in all areas of the hospital, including the maternity unit.

City Editor Jacob Vitali contributed to this report.

Leominster Hospital maternity ward faces closure, protest planned for Tuesday night

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LEOMINSTER — The maternity ward at Leominster Hospital is facing closure in the fall by the UMass Memorial Health system that owns it, causing condemnation from the entire North Central Massachusetts legislative delegation and a planned protest rally on Tuesday.

UMass Memorial Health Alliance – Clinton Hospital President Steve Roach blamed “industry-wide workforce shortages” and “a declining birth rate” in the region for shuttering the popular birthing center.

The area’s legislative delegation released a joint statement calling the closure an “unjustified decision” which is “completely unacceptable and cannot stand.” The statement referenced high maternal mortality and that losing the unit “jeopardizes the health and safety of mothers and their newborns in our community.”

Patients in labor will be forced to travel much further to give birth in Worcester, Gardner, or Concord, with some inevitably forced to deliver in the Leominster, Fitchburg, or Clinton emergency rooms or on the side of the road trying to make it to a still open maternity unit.

UMass Memorial Health has notified the state Department of Public Health that it plans to close the labor and delivery unit on Sept. 22, but regulators must first approve the plan.

The protest rally will take place on Tuesday, May 30 at 6 p.m. at the corner of Nelson and North Main streets in Leominster, near the hospital. Local, state, and federal elected officials will be in attendance as well as members of the public.

The legislators said the impending closure shows an “unacceptable pattern” of “gutting healthcare services in North Central—and two Gateway Cities—of the critical healthcare services we need most,” noting the previous loss of services such as the mental health and urgent care center at Burbank Hospital in Fitchburg, cardiac and pulmonary rehab and inpatient pediatric unit in Leominster, and endoscopy and ambulatory services in Clinton.

“Enough is enough,” said state Sen. John Cronin and state Reps. Natalie Higgins, Meg Kilcoyne, Mike Kushmerek, Kimberly Ferguson, Margaret Scarsdale and Jonathan Zlotnik.

“This was an especially difficult decision for our health system, as our compassionate caregivers have helped thousands of parents and families navigate the birthing journey and welcome new loved ones into their lives for so many decades,” Roach said in a statement released to the press.

However, the legislative delegation said “no other alternative” will be acceptable to the delegation other than maintaining maternal healthcare services at Leominster Hospital.

It has not been announced what changes this will bring to Montachusett Women’s Health, the obstetrics and gynecology office on the grounds of Leominster Hospital whose doctors and midwives deliver the babies.

Joint Committee on Ways and Means convenes in Fitchburg, presents ‘opportunity’ for North Central Massachusetts

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FITCHBURG — As the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Ways and Means convened in the Legislative Building Tuesday, the second leg of a six-part trek around the state, state Sen. John Cronin sensed opportunity.

“An important conversation,” the meeting was part of the Committee’s continued effort to craft the state’s budget for fiscal 2024. But Cronin said that their time in the city represented something far greater: an invaluable experience for themselves and an “incredible opportunity” for the entire North Central region.

“We had the privilege to host the Joint Committee on Ways and Means and to hear testimony from some of the most important stakeholders in the state,” Cronin said. “And we’re fortunate to have had the opportunity to inject the perspective of the North Central region into that process as they craft a budget that reflects the values of the Commonwealth and can truly address challenges faced across Massachusetts every day.”

“Beyond the budget, I believe this was a great opportunity to highlight the community at large and members of the North Central delegation. Not just their growing influence in the Legislature, but their ability to accomplish so much for people here in the city and the North Central region,” he said.

An assembly that focused on budgetary items related to health and human services, the nearly five-hour session consisted of testimony from those aforementioned “important stakeholders.” Executive Office of Veterans’ Services Secretary Jon Santiago spoke, as did Department of Transitional Assistance Commissioner Mary Sheehan, Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission Commissioner Toni Wolf, Office of Refugees and Immigrants Executive Director Mary Truong and others.

Each agency present had the opportunity to question, clarify and voice concerns in regard to the budget as proposed by Gov. Maura Healey earlier this month. As he stressed the importance of those topics of discussion, Cronin praised the speakers as well as the Committee, which he referred to as “the most powerful in the legislature,” and said it was an “honor” to have led them on Tuesday.

“We received broad testimony from those on the ground in state government, those that deliver healthcare, deliver services to our veterans and monitor rising healthcare costs and the degradation of those services in rural and economically depressed areas of the state,” he said. “It’s an important conversation to have and one crucial to the Committee as we move forward with the budget.”

“There’s no more important sector for thoughtful focus than health and human services and we were absolutely grateful for the testimony received on Tuesday,” he said.

That said, Committee Chair Michael Rodrigues asked Cronin to lead the delegation Tuesday, alongside state Rep. Kathleen LaNatra, to “highlight needs and challenges faced by Gateway Cities.” With that in mind, Cronin reiterated the opportunity the Committee’s presence in Fitchburg represented not just for the city, but similar communities throughout Massachusetts.

“It’s important to bring people from across the state — policymakers, elected officials, commissioners — to North Central Massachusetts so that they can understand where we are, who we are and what we’re about,” Cronin said. “And it can make it easier for us, the North Central delegation, to advocate for our communities throughout the legislative session when members have a sort of shared experience and memories of being in your community.”

“The challenges of Fitchburg, Leominster and the region as a whole can be found almost everywhere and must be brought before those stakeholders so that they can truly understand those issues. And, through that understanding, we hope to shape policy in a way that would prove beneficial to everyone,” he said.

Mayor Stephen DiNatale and state Rep. Michael Kushmerek, who opened Tuesday’s hearing with remarks and thanks for the Committee, agreed. Kushmerek described Fitchburg as a “microcosm” of the entire state, while DiNatale, who served with the Legislature for nearly a decade, praised the Committee for their work and thanked them for their visit to the city.

“I truly believe that Fitchburg is a microcosm of the entire Commonwealth,” Kushmerek said. “You name it, Fitchburg has it — we represent the challenges of the Commonwealth but, also, the opportunities.”

“I’m just thrilled that you are here and thankful for the crucial work set to commence today and in the weeks ahead,” he said.

“Having spent nearly 10 years in the Legislature, I truly know the importance of what you handle every day,” DiNatale said. “This is a momentous occasion for [Fitchburg] — we’re proud that we were able to serve as host and thank you so much for the work you do for the Commonwealth and the people within the city of Fitchburg.”

With the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate set to review the budget in April and May, respectively, Cronin reiterated that Fitchburg and the entire North Central region, “poised for incredible economic growth,” presented a “tremendous opportunity” to the state and said hoped the Legislature would capitalize on that potential.

“We have an opportunity (in North Central Massachusetts),” Cronin said. “Our affordability, our cultural institutions, the incredible amenities and just the natural beauty of the area, we have the chance to foster growth in the local and regional economy in a way that would benefit everybody and create significant opportunities for people across the state.”

“This hearing was an opportunity for policymakers across the state to see that opportunity, to see our potential here — and I hope they seize it,” he said.

State Sen. John Cronin discusses importance of local news, state aid with local journalism leaders

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As local news outlets continue to contract and shutter, legislators including state Sen. John Cronin are hoping to take action to support access to a fact-driven, healthy and local free press.

In January, Cronin signed on to legislation by state Rep. Jeffrey Rosario Turco that would create a tax credit reimbursing any state resident up to $250 per year for the cost of a local newspaper subscription. The hope, Cronin said, is that by subsidizing local journalism, Massachusetts could “spur a generation of quality, competitive local coverage and create a market to support healthy civic engagement.”

In a meeting with members of the Sentinel & Enterprise and Lowell Sun editorial board Tuesday, Cronin stressed the urgency of the “Act to establish a local community newspaper subscription tax credit.”

“This bill is not exactly complex, but I think it’s the start of a really important conversation,” Cronin said, noting it was only one page in length. “It’s an acknowledgment of how important a role [reporters and a free press] play in our democracy.”

“There are very few people left that sort of understand what healthy, local news coverage looked like — in 20 to 30 years, that’s going to be such an abstraction, hence the urgency to identify and implement a remedy now,” he said.

Under the legislation, a publication must create “original content derived from primary sources and relating to news and current events” of a regional or local community for a subscription stipend to qualify. Said publication must also employ at least one journalist from that regional or local community.

Subscriptions to statewide and national publications would be ineligible for the credit. Cronin later suggested that a potential state Senate version of the bill could propose further restrictions as he noted the “gray area” posed by the issue.

“Honestly, what sort of institutions should be eligible for this?” he asked. “That’s not something that is necessarily addressed in the bill as it is right now, but maybe that’s something we could vet through a committee process, through public testimony.

“There are certainly going to be some tensions that could create some of these ethical and moral gray areas, but we have to balance that against the very real threat to our democracy if we don’t correct the dearth of local news coverage in our communities in some capacity,” he said.

Cronin also stressed that the bill was not meant to “subsidize big media corporations,” but rather support a “quality, competitive” local press, fix a modern political dialogue that has become “toxic” and reintroduce “healthy civic engagement” to local communities, the lack of which he called “concerning.”

“I think there is a causal relationship between the lack of resources for local news and local journalism and the lack of civic engagement that we see everywhere today,” he said. “Local news also sets the table for debate in a way that, frankly, I think we’ve lost at both the state and national level — a reinvigorated press would help fix that toxic dialogue.”

While not specifically referenced in the legislation, Cronin touched on the importance of “media literacy” and said “people’s ability to discern fact from fiction or opinion will be better if they can grow up reading a local newspaper.” While he admitted the legislation as is might not be the best way forward, he made it clear that it is far better than the “path” local coverage is already headed down.

“Is it perfect? No, nothing is,” he said. “But is it better than the alternative? The path we’re sort of heading down already? I believe it is,” he said.

Aside from Cronin, the bill has already garnered six other co-sponsors: state Sen. Adam Gomez and state Reps. Jessica Giannino, Michelle DuBois, Dan Sena and Patrick Kearney. Cronin said, as a group, their job would be to educate legislators and the public at large as to the importance of the bill moving forward.

“I think the job right now is to educate every stakeholder about what we’re trying to do and why,” Cronin said. “Policymakers are one of the last groups of people that get up every day and read the newspaper — it’s important to us and to the work we do every day.

“My hope is that, as we continue to educate each other and call attention to the potential of this bill, we’re able to garner the public support that we need,” he said.

John Cronin to serve on Senate Ways and Means Committee

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State Sen. John Cronin, D-Fitchburg, has received his committee assignments for his second term as a member of the Massachusetts Senate.

Thursday, Cronin said in a press release that he had been chosen to serve as chair of the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure, as well as a member of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

“I’m thrilled to have received such impactful committee assignments for the new legislative session,” Cronin said in the press release. “As the Chair of Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure, I’ll have the opportunity to help shape the Commonwealth’s workforce. I’m equally excited to serve on Ways and Means, which, in my opinion, is the primary driver of legislation and good policy in the Senate. I look forward to beginning this important work and to ensuring that North Central Mass is at the forefront of our state’s legislative priorities.”

The Senate Ways and Means Committee is chaired by state Sen. Michael Rodrigues, D-Westport, and plays a significant role in crafting the Legislature’s annual budget, facilitates supplementary budget bills and shepherds high priority legislation to the Senate floor. Cronin said the committee’s most pressing responsibility will be creating and approving the annual budget to fund state government and local initiatives for the coming fiscal year.

As chair of the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure, Cronin said he will be tasked with overseeing legislative relative to consumer rights, occupational licenses and worker classifications. The senator said he had experience in this area of legislation, citing the passage of the Wheelchair Repair Bill by the Senate in 2022. The consumer rights legislation originated in this committee, he said.

Additionally, Cronin announced he will serve as vice chair of the Committee on Health Care Financing and as a member of the Committees on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, Municipalities and Regional Government, Labor and Workforce Development, and Financial Services.

Monty Tech named in federal civil rights complaint

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FITCHBURG — Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School is one of two vocational schools in the state named in a federal civil rights complaint over admissions practices.

The complaint was filed Thursday morning against the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education with the federal Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights by the Lawyers for Civil Rights and the Center for Law and Education. It is on behalf of two students from Gardner, two students from Chelsea, and the Vocational Education Justice Coalition, which consists of 20 community, civil rights, and union groups.

According to the complaint, a student identified as Aaron Doe applied to Monty Tech during the 2019-2020 school year. The complaint states he is a student with disabilities and had an Individualized Education Program while attending middle school. He was determined to attend a school where he could thrive in a hands-on environment and struggled to envision himself in an environment where he was “glued to a desk.”

“Ultimately, he was denied admission. Ironically, his current teachers now note that he would benefit from a hands-on learning environment. Despite being denied admission, Aaron Doe remains interested in career and technical education, but he will now have to incur out-of-pocket expenses for a private specialized program if he enrolls in one after he completes high school,” the complaint states.

Similarly, Juan Doe applied to Monty Tech during the 2021-2022 school year. The complaint describes him as an English-language learner who believed he would benefit from being in an interactive learning environment. He has a particularly strong interest in carpentry and wanted to follow in his uncle’s footsteps owning a construction business.

“Juan maintained a B-grade point average and had no disciplinary or attendance issues. In the school year 2021-22, he applied to Monty Tech. Although he believed his interview process went well, he was ultimately denied admission to Monty Tech. He still hopes to obtain access to career and technical education during his time in high school and aspires to open his own business,” the complaint states.

When students are considered for admission to Monty Tech, they are given a “Total Rating Score” based on five criteria which informs who will fill the seats apportioned for each of the 18 source communities. Grades account for 25% of a student’s score; disciplinary history, attendance, and an interview each account for 20%; and a sending school recommendation accounts for 15%.

“All resident applicants are placed in order of their Total Rating Score and by town of residence. Resident applicants are then accepted in order of the Total Rating Score they have achieved. The resident applicant with the highest Total Rating Score is accepted first, the resident applicant with the second highest Total Rating Score is accepted second, and so on until all seats are filled,” Monty Tech’s admission policy states.

In a statement, Superintendent Thomas Browne said, “the long-standing practice of incorporating selective criteria in an admission policy is not intended to be discriminatory.” The criteria is used when there are more applicants than there are seats available.

Browne said vocational schools, like Monty Tech, were growing in popularity. Monty Tech had 850 students who wanted to attend the school as part of the Class of 2026, but only 370 spots were available and not all could be admitted.

“It is an unfortunate call we answer too often, and we hope that we handle their disappointments with the compassion and care that we would  expect should we find ourselves in a similar situation. Hence, we remain committed to finding solutions that  will successfully address the needs of all student populations,” Browne said.

Browne added Monty Tech had initiated steps to implement a new Partnership Program that will serve 80 students chosen by the Fitchburg Public Schools, Gardner Public Schools, and Narragansett Regional School District. The goal is to create a program that will train 40 juniors and 40 seniors each year in a Chapter 74 Carpentry or Electrical workforce training program.

Monty Tech had secured a Lab Modernization Grant to build out two state-of-the-art training facilities by utilizing the school’s students and instructors to renovate a vacant warehouse located 1.3 miles from campus. The school is leasing the property specifically for this purpose.

School buses drop off students at Montachusett Regional Technical School on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. (GARY FOURNIER/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)
School buses drop off students at Montachusett Regional Technical School on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. (GARY FOURNIER/SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE)

Complainants still say the admission practices must change and the data supports their position.

Spring 2022 final admissions data for Monty Tech, accessible through DESE, showed the school accepted 42% of the students of color who applied compared to 57% of white students; 38% of economically disadvantaged students compared to 65% of those who were not; 42% of students with disabilities were accepted compared to 54% of students without disabilities; and 18% of English-language learners were accepted compared to 53% of non English-language learners.

“Students with the passion and talent for a trade, who have successfully completed 8th grade, should have a fair shot at admission at their regional vocational high school. However, that is not the reality under DESE’s current policies and regulations,” said Mirian Albert, staff attorney for Lawyers for Civil Rights in a statement.

Data showed statewide 37% of the students of color received admissions offers, compared to approximately 49% of the white students; 30% of English-language learners received admissions offers compared to 45% of non English-language learners, 37% of students with disabilities received admissions compared to 45% of students who did not have disabilities.

Albert added that students who do not benefit in traditional school environments can be re-engaged through practical and hands-on instruction at vocational schools. She added students from marginalized communities can become more competitive in the job market with fair access.

While the complaint specifically involves students who were not admitted to Monty Tech and Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School, a similar ranked admissions process is used by 26 of 28 of the state’s vocational schools. Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School in Marlboro uses a lottery-based system, while Worcester Technical High School uses a modified lottery that places all students with 10 or fewer unexcused absences on equal footing.

In contrast to the admissions data for Monty Tech, Assabet Valley’s data shows the school accepted 75% of the students of color who applied compared to 73% of white students; 71% of economically disadvantaged students were accepted compared to 76% of those who were not; 68% of students with disabilities were accepted compared to 76% of students without disabilities; and 67% of English-language learners were accepted compared to 75% of non English-language learners.

State Sen. John Cronin, D-Fitchburg, said vocational schools like Monty Tech were actively discriminating against the most vulnerable eighth graders in the state. To change the process under state law, Cronin has filed legislation with state Rep. Antonio Cabral, D-Bristol.

In an interview Thursday, Cronin said he had heard pushback from superintendents that lotteries simply don’t work. However, he said the numbers proved otherwise and people were not entitled to their own set of facts.

“Our position is not radical. Public schools should no longer be able to use private school admissions criteria to systemically discriminate and keep the most vulnerable eighth graders in our state out of our trade schools,” Cronin later said during a press conference.

Under Massachusetts General Law chapter 71 section 89, public charter schools are required to use a blind lottery process when there are more more students than there are available seats.

According to VEJC, the fight for fairness in vocational education admissions is not new. After making a push in 2021, DESE implemented new regulations for vocational schools. However, the coalition said the changes were minimal and schools maintained substantial discretion over admission procedures.

In addition to Cronin’s legislation, VEJC said it was calling on Gov. Maura Healey to formally request the Board of Education shift admission policy to a lottery system. The complaint also calls on the federal DOE to suspend further funding disbursements to DESE until the process is changed.

Lowell Sun Reporter Cameron Morsberger contributed to this report.