Governor Healey Orders Statewide Maternal Health Review to Ensure Equitable Care in All Communities

 Governor Healey Orders Statewide Maternal Health Review to Ensure Equitable Care in All Communities 

Orders an immediate review of health services access in Northern Worcester County in wake of Leominster maternity closure  

BOSTON – Governor Maura Healey today ordered two reviews to ensure that Massachusetts residents, particularly in rural and underserved communities, have access to high-quality health care, including inpatient services, prenatal, and postpartum care. The order comes after UMass Memorial Health Care confirmed to the Department of Public Health (DPH) that it could not delay the closure of the obstetrics inpatient service at its Leominster campus due to unsafe staffing shortages, despite state efforts to delay the closure.   

The unit is scheduled to close on September 23. DPH has been working closely with UMass Memorial as they develop a plan to ensure access to prenatal care in the Leominster region. The plan includes transportation services for OB patients to make sure they have access to high-quality birthing and inpatient care with other hospitals in the area. DPH will monitor the plan’s implementation as well as UMass Memorial’s commitment to continue providing high quality prenatal and postpartum care in the Leominster area.  

In accordance with the Governor’s directive, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services will lead a comprehensive review, with a focus on health equity and health outcomes, that includes consideration of access to specialized services like doula care and supports for nutrition, mental health and substance use issues. An additional review will focus on regional access to essential services in the Northern Worcester County area, in the wake of the Leominster campus closure.  

“Our administration is deeply concerned about the Leominster closure and health care access generally across northern Worcester County. We are committed to ensuring that all Massachusetts residents have access to high-quality health care, including safe and equitable maternal care. We have the greatest health care system in the country, but there is work we must do to ensure that all of our residents, especially in rural communities and communities of color, have access to comprehensive maternal health care,” said Governor Healey. “That’s why I’m ordering a review of maternal health services across the state, and a review of essential health services in the Northern Worcester County area following the closure of the UMass Memorial Leominster maternity unit.”  

 “We recognize the important role that each health care provider plays in our communities, and the access challenges that can come with the closure of a clinical service, especially in our rural areas,” said Lieutenant Governor Driscoll. “These reviews will complement the work of our Director of Rural Affairs in making sure that we have true regional health equity and a strong health care network available in every community across Massachusetts.” 

Governor Healey has instructed Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kate Walsh, Undersecretary for Health Dr. Kiame Mahaniah and Department of Public Health (DPH) Commissioner Robbie Goldstein to complete two projects to be completed by November 15: 

1. Conduct a review of prenatal, postpartum and birthing services across the state, through a lens of health equity and health outcomes, with a focus on availability of quality services in rural and other underserved communities and produce a set of recommendations for ensuring that high quality services are reasonably available to all Massachusetts communities.    

2. Conduct a review of access to all essential health services in the Northern Worcester County area and develop a plan to support or improve access where needed. This will include a review of hospital services, community-based care, and social supports. It will also include consultation and collaboration with providers and community leaders in the area to ensure that access to critical services is protected following the closure of the Leominster inpatient maternity unit. 

“We know that there is much work to be done to address racial and regional inequities in maternity care and health care across the state. We are committed to reviewing all of the factors impacting health equity, including maternal care, to improve health outcomes,” said HHS Secretary Walsh. “This review process will help guide policy decisions as we work to improve the health equity and outcomes for all people across the state.” 

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Governor Healey Announces U.S. Small Business Administration Disaster Loans Available for August 8 Flood Recovery

Governor Healey Announces U.S. Small Business Administration Disaster Loans Available for August 8 Flood Recovery 

The low-interest loans are available to residents, businesses, and nonprofits in Essex County and parts of Middlesex and Suffolk Counties 

 

BOSTON – The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced today that, following a request by the Governor, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will offer low-interest federal disaster loans. Massachusetts homeowners, renters, businesses, and nonprofit organizations suffering substantial damage or economic injury not covered by insurance as a result of severe storms and flooding on August 8 can apply for a home, business physical, or economic injury disaster loan. The disaster declaration makes SBA assistance available in Essex County, as well as contiguous Middlesex, and Suffolk Counties.  

 

“Our administration continues to pursue every available form of support for communities affected by this summer’s significant flooding, including these low-interest loan opportunities,” said Governor Maura Healey. “We're grateful for the responsiveness of our partners at every level of government, especially public safety officials at the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. We want Massachusetts communities to know that we understand the devastating impacts of these floods and we will keep working to deliver them relief.”  

 

“Thank you to the SBA for offering low interest, emergency loans to communities impacted by the severe weather and floods that occurred on August 8,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Our administration remains deeply committed to working alongside our federal, state and local partners to support communities with access to much-needed resources as rebuilding and recovery continues.” 

 

The low interest disaster loans available through the SBA declaration include: 

 

· Business Physical Disaster Loans: Loans to businesses to repair or replace disaster-damaged property owned by the business, including real estate, inventories, supplies, machinery, and equipment. Businesses of any size are also eligible. Private, non-profit organizations such as charities, churches, private universities, etc., are also eligible. 

· Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL): Working capital loans to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes meet their ordinary and necessary financial obligations that cannot be met as a direct result of the disaster. These loans are intended to assist through the disaster recovery period. 

· Home Disaster Loans: Loans to homeowners or renters to repair or replace disaster-damaged real estate and personal property, including automobiles. 

 

Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. Individuals who are deaf or hard‑of‑hearing may call (800) 877-8339. Completed applications should be mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX  76155.  

 

To assist prospective applicants and facilitate needed support, the SBA will open Disaster Loan Outreach Centers beginning Monday, September 25, in North Andover, and the following week in Lawrence. Customer service representatives will be on hand to answer questions about SBA’s disaster loan program, explain the application process, and help each individual complete their electronic loan application. Applications will subsequently be reviewed by SBA to determine if the applicant is qualified for the loan. The deadlines to apply for physical loans and economic injury loans are November 20, 2023, and June 20, 2024, respectively. 

 

Disaster Loan Outreach Centers location and operating hours are available on the flood recovery website developed by the Healey Administration in response to several severe flooding events this year across Massachusetts. 

Massachusetts Wins Proposal to Host Northeast Microelectronics Hub through Federal CHIPS and Science Act

Massachusetts Wins Proposal to Host Northeast Microelectronics Hub through Federal CHIPS and Science Act 

MassTech Collaborative-Led Proposal Selected by U.S. Department of Defense Through Highly Competitive Process Aimed at Advancing Manufacturing of Microelectronics and Semiconductors 

BOSTON – The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced that Massachusetts has been awarded $19.7 million in funding for fiscal year 2023 through the federal CHIPS and Science Act to establish the Northeast Microelectronics Coalition Hub (NEMC), a regional hub that will advance the microelectronics needs of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) while spurring new jobs, workforce training opportunities, and investment in the region’s advanced manufacturing and technology sectors. 

  

The Healey-Driscoll Administration is supporting the hub with up to $40 million in matching funds from the Immediate Needs Bond Bill filed in January. The Administration, through the quasi-public economic development agency Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, assembled and led a coalition of more than 90 organizations from across the Northeast in submitting a proposal in February to the federal government to create the NEMC through the DoD’s Microelectronics Commons program.  

 

“We’re thrilled that Massachusetts has been selected as a regional hub to support the microelectronics needs of the Department of Defense,” said Governor Maura Healey. “This is a once in a generation opportunity for Massachusetts to be at the forefront of innovation and this cutting-edge sector. The Northeast Microelectronics hub will result in new jobs and workforce development opportunities, groundbreaking research development, and resources for business – all right here in Massachusetts.”  

 

“This award through the CHIPS and Science Act will boost industries that are keeping Massachusetts at the forefront of innovation and help us expand economic opportunity for our residents through job training and workforce development investments,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We’re honored to lead this regional coalition comprised of experts in industry, research, and academia who will provide unmatched technical expertise and partnership through the Northeast Microelectronics Hub.”  

 

The program is funded by the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act that aims to onshore the manufacturing of microelectronics and semiconductor technologies and support workforce training for these industries. The DoD’s announcement of $238 million in funding for Microelectronics Commons is the largest award to date under President Biden's CHIPS and Science Act and will fund eight regional hubs across the country.  

“Massachusetts has always been a leader in advanced manufacturing, technology, and innovation. This award is a testament to that leadership position and to the strength of Team Massachusetts,” said Secretary of Economic Development Yvonne Hao. “The Healey-Driscoll Administration is grateful to the coalition members from across the public and private sectors who put together this successful proposal and the federal delegation for their support of the CHIPS and Science Act. We look forward to working together to invest in our state and our country’s economic and national security.” 

 

“We are incredibly grateful for the trust and collaboration of our coalition members and the Department of Defense to establish and launch the NEMC Hub for Massachusetts, for the northeast, and for the nation,” said MassTech Collaborative Executive Director Carolyn Kirk. “Our selection a demonstrates the power of partnerships and illustrates the immense talent that has come together to earn this designation.” 
 
“The Healey-Driscoll Administration has focused on initiatives where we can harness the unique opportunity to tap into federal support, including the CHIPS and Science Act,” said Director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure Quentin Palfrey. “We’re proud that Massachusetts can be a part of advancing our nations national security and competitiveness in this critical global industry, while creating new jobs, furthering workforce development and creating opportunities for cutting-edge innovation here in the Commonwealth.” 

With $2 billion in funding for Fiscal Years 2023 through 2027, the Microelectronics Commons program aims to leverage these Hubs to accelerate domestic hardware prototyping and "lab-to-fab" transition of semiconductor technologies. This will help mitigate supply chain risks and ultimately expedite access to the most cutting-edge microchips for defense needs.  

Regional microelectronics hubs are expected to spur economic growth across their respective regions and the economy at large. Hubs are charged with developing the physical, digital, and human infrastructure needed to support future success in microelectronics research and development. This includes building education pipelines and retraining initiatives to ensure the United States has the talent pool needed to sustain these investments. The initiative focuses on six key technology areas critical to the DoD’s mission, areas where the Northeast and Massachusetts have a strong research focus: 

· Secure Edge/Internet of Things Computing 

· 5G/6G 

· Artificial Intelligence Hardware 

· Quantum Technology 

· Electromagnetic Warfare 

· Commercial Leap Ahead Technologies 

The DoD received 80 submissions to the Microelectronics Program, with over 600 unique organizations included as prospective team members. For more information, visit https://microelectronicscommons.org/. 

The NEMC proposal is a part of the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s whole-of-government strategy to compete for federal money that has included applications for more than $2 billion dollars in federal funding to advance priorities for equity, competitiveness, workforce development and climate resiliency in Massachusetts. The approach has brought in tens of millions of dollars to the Commonwealth in recent weeks, with additional funding still pending the decision of federal agencies.

MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES A NEW PILOT PROGRAM TO DECARBONIZE BOSTON’S HOUSING STOCK

MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES A NEW PILOT PROGRAM TO DECARBONIZE BOSTON’S HOUSING STOCK New Pilot Program targets building sizes of up to 4 units, offering grants to support electrification

BOSTON - Thursday, September 21, 2023 - Today Mayor Wu announced the launch of the City’s  Healthy & Green Retrofit Pilot Program. This new initiative – led by the Mayor’s Office of Housing with support from Oliver Sellers Garcia, the Mayor’s Green New Deal Director – will support owners of two to four-unit owner-occupied buildings with funding to jumpstart the decarbonization and electrification of Boston’s smaller building stock, while preserving affordability and preventing tenant displacement. The program will support building owners with energy assessments, construction management, and forgivable loan financing to accelerate Boston’s Green New Deal. Videos explaining the retrofit program are available on Mayor Wu’s Instagram in English and Spanish. "With almost 80 percent of Boston's buildings requiring deep energy retrofits and decarbonization, our new Healthy & Green Retrofit Pilot Program signifies a pivotal movement toward achieving our city's carbon neutrality aspirations,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “By targeting the most common building type and preserving affordability, we are paving the way for a greener, healthier future for all Bostonians." The new pilot program will offer grants in the form of forgivable loans of up to $50,000 per unit and provide comprehensive energy assessment and construction management services. The pilot is designed to serve as a model for other communities, with the anticipation that lessons learned will be readily applicable to diverse building types and sizes beyond Boston. "With this launch, Boston is taking a groundbreaking step towards a healthier and greener future for our communities,” said Sheila Dillon, Chief of Housing. “The Healthy & Green Retrofit Pilot Program underscores our dedication to sustainable building practices and decarbonization. By focusing on two to four-unit owner-occupied buildings, we are making strides towards reducing the carbon footprint of the City. Together, we are building a more sustainable and equitable city for generations to come." The Healthy & Green Retrofit Pilot Program's initial scope will include building owners partnering with the Mayor’s Office of Housing’s Boston Home Center (BHC) to provide construction management services. The retrofit work will be performed by pre-qualified private general contractors. The BHC is expanding the pool of eligible general contractors who will be eligible to bid and oversee retrofit work on individual homes. The BHC will manage the program to ensure high-quality, sustainable retrofit installations.  “With our Green New Deal, Boston is making investments that directly deliver climate and quality of life solutions in an equitable manner,” said Oliver Sellers Garcia, Director of Boston’s Green New Deal. “The creation of this new program is pivotal in creating a new model for equity-first multi-family housing electrification.  BHC is scaling up to become a decarbonization department, and this pilot project will provide important lessons and proof of concept for growth in the coming years.”    Owners of the selected buildings will collaborate with BHC and partners who specialize in decarbonization to outline the optimal green retrofit plan for each individual project. The integration of heat pumps to either supplement or replace existing heating and cooling systems will be an important component of the program. These new heat pumps are anticipated to render homes cleaner, healthier, and more resilient, representing a significant step forward in Boston's commitment to a Green New Deal by lowering emissions across sectors. “National Grid looks forward to working with the Healthy and Green Retrofit Program, an innovative City of Boston pilot that advances our shared climate change, clean energy and equity goals,” said Chris Porter, Director, Customer Energy Management, National Grid. “Lessons learned from this groundbreaking program can be a model in helping all customers reduce their carbon footprint, more easily obtain clean energy solutions and ensure that health and wellbeing benefits from decarbonization are available to one and all.” The announcement of the Healthy & Green Retrofit Pilot Program follows the announcement in March of this year of the Large Building Green Energy Retrofits Program, as well as the City’s ordinance to adopt the Department of Energy Resources’ Municipal Opt-in Specialized Stretch Energy Code. The Large Building Green Energy Retrofits Program targets large, aging, affordable housing developments in the City and is supported by $10 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for energy performance improvements. This program is supported with $5 million in ARPA funds and  will significantly improve the health, safety, and comfort for the owners and occupants of small multifamily buildings, while also creating jobs and reinvesting in housing and neighborhoods. The program will lay the groundwork for future, scaled-up efforts to upgrade the city’s housing stock and achieve decarbonization goals.

麻州長Healey簽2項行政命令 訂立全美第一個長期生物多元化目標 禁單次使用塑膠瓶

 Governor Healey Celebrates Climate Week by Establishing Nation’s First Long-term Biodiversity Goals, Single-Use Plastic Bottle Ban 

Amidst a global biodiversity crisis, Massachusetts to become first state in the country to develop biodiversity goals to 2050; Separate executive order ends state agencies use of single use plastic bottles 

 

WESTBOROUGH – In celebration of National Climate Week, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed two key executive orders to address climate change and sustainability. The first executive order directs the state to develop biodiversity goals for 2030, 2040, and 2050. Massachusetts is the first state to set metrics out to 2050, and the first on the East Coast to include coastal and marine biodiversity. The second executive order bans the executive branch agencies from purchasing single-use plastic bottles, a key contributor to ocean pollution.  

Healey first announced the Executive Orders earlier this week at the 2023 Clinton Global Initiative’s annual meeting, which was focused on how to “keep going” in challenging times and to build a stronger future for us all. Governor Healey’s remarks were part the session "Tides Turning: How to Accelerate Sustainable Practices for Ocean Conservation” and are available to watch here. 

 

“Massachusetts has a long history of being first in the nation, and we’re proud to be the first to set long-term targets for biodiversity and to ban state agencies from purchasing single-use plastic bottles,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Our state is home to precious natural resources – from our towering forests, numerous lakes and ponds, vast network of rivers, and beautiful marshland, estuaries, and abundant ocean – that clean our air, power our economy, and serve as a home to hundreds threatened and rare species. These lands define the culture of our state, and today, we are taking bold action to preserve them for generations to come.”    

 

“The importance of sustaining and restoring our state’s biodiversity cannot be overstated,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “By taking action now, we can ensure that we are balancing development, climate action, and conservation in a thoughtful way. We can’t have strong communities without tackling waste and protecting our natural resources.” 

 

Biodiversity Executive Order 

 

Massachusetts has spent decades protecting natural resources. This executive order directs the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) to conduct a review of existing biodiversity conservation efforts and establish goals and strategies to achieve a nature-positive future for Massachusetts in 2030, 2040, and 2050. Goals will focus on sustaining a full array of Massachusetts plants, animals, and habitats to survive and flourish while providing equitable access to nature and ensuring a climate-resilient landscape for the future.     

 

The 2019 Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services estimated that three-quarters of the world’s land surface and 66 percent of its oceans had been significantly altered, and one million species face extinction within decades. Climate change is accelerating this decline, seriously affecting public health, the economy, food security, and emissions reductions. More than half the world’s total gross domestic product is “moderately or highly dependent” vulnerable to biodiversity loss.  

 

Massachusetts’ oceans, rivers, forests, marshes, and conserved lands are critical natural assets for the regional economy and reducing the effects of climate change. Threats to biodiversity include habitat loss and fragmentation, infrastructure, pollution, climate change impacts, and invasive species. Currently, there are over 430 species listed under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act. Protecting biodiversity is a long-term investment in the health, economy, and climate resilience of Massachusetts.  

 

“Our forests and oceans are some of the most important tools for climate action that we have,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “Our natural resources are a climate solution by design, and it is incumbent upon us to protect them. This framework will also ensure that environmental justice communities can access these green spaces and outdoor recreation as the weather gets more extreme.” 

 

“Already we’ve seen impacts to species and their habitats to species and their habitats across Massachusetts,” said DFG Commissioner Tom O’Shea. “Without setting these targets, we risk further erosion of these natural lands and waters and the species that call them home. The ripple effects on public health, the economy, and food security could be profound. The Department of Fish and Game is proud to be leading this groundbreaking initiative, and we aspire to be a national example for action on biodiversity.”   

 

Single-Use Plastic Executive Order   

 

The executive order bars all executive offices and agencies in Massachusetts from purchasing single-use plastic bottles under 21 fluid ounces, effective immediately and except in cases of emergency.  

 

Most single-use plastic bottles are made from petroleum-based polyethylene terephthalate in refineries that run on fossil fuels. Plastic bottles require as much as 400 years to break down into microplastic that pollutes and leaches toxins. Americans throw away about 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour, and scientists have estimated there may be more plastic than fish by weight in the ocean by 2050. 

 

“At every step of the production process, single-use plastic is polluting our communities and harming our wildlife,” said first-in-the-nation Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer. “Massachusetts is a proud coastal state, and we will not stand by while plastic brings harm to our ocean and the communities that rely on it. My office looks forward to implementing this bold vision for a whole-of-government approach to reducing waste and protecting our natural resources.” 

昆士市將翻修華樂斯頓公墓退伍軍人區

(Boston Orange編譯) 昆士市長柯奇 (Thomas P. Koch) 宣佈，將翻修華樂斯頓山公墓 (Mount Wollaston Cemetery) 的退伍軍人區，以持續改善公墓。

翻修工程包括重新分級路段、鋪草皮，做適當標記。昆士市政府籲請民眾在這段期間，別在墳墓上種秋季花朵或放置物品。

華樂斯頓山公墓正在海街(Sea)入口處施工，包括新的入口通道以及重新排列退伍軍人區戰爭紀念碑，安裝新旗桿，翻修歷史悠久的大砲。

明年春天，將安裝並落成一座新紀念碑，紀念從海灣戰爭 (Gulf War)以來迄今曾服役的昆西市烈士。

柯奇市長表示，以最尊崇的敬重來紀念這許多已故退伍軍人是很重要的。由於退伍軍人區的許多標記已經下沉了，需要重新安置。 而且隨著下沉，坡度也改變了，我們也想要改善這些。一旦坡度確定了，會重新安放標記並使之與地面齊平，然後種植草皮。他相信一旦完工，會很漂亮，也才是向那些曾經為國服務者獻上適當的尊敬。

 自然資源專員戴夫·墨菲 (Dave Murphy) 表示，在他們做退伍軍人區的必要翻修時，希望逝者家屬合作，避免在墓地種植任何植物或安放文物。