塔芙茨醫療中心護士今(12)日將罷工一天

華人前進會就塔芙茨醫院護士預定7月12日早上7點起罷工一天，發表如下中英文說明。麻州護士協會也發表新聞稿。

塔夫茨醫院護士在7月11日星期二返回談判，試圖避免患者一天的安全受影響

注冊護士正計劃在7月12日發動24小時的罷工，護士們憂慮醫院病人安全，資源短缺，和減掉退休計劃的問題仍未得到解決；塔夫茨醫院威脅4天把護士關在外面

波士頓 – 由1,200名塔夫茨醫院注冊護士選出的護士代表在7月12日星期二在波士頓聯邦調解員辦公室返回談判，希望與塔夫茨醫院達成共識，設法在預定計劃進行歷史性的24小時罷工前，解決有關病人護理安全，退休保障和其它的問題。

除非塔夫茨醫院同意一個公平的合同，並真正重視護士和保障病人能得到最優秀的護理，塔夫茨的護士們，由麻州護士協會作代表，已準備好一天的罷工由7月12日星期三的上午7時開始，直至7月13日星期四的上午6時59分。

“塔夫茨的護士們已經提出解決醫院人手和病人護理問題的方案，並已找出如何支付解決方案”手術室護士兼談判小組共同主席 Mary Havlicek Cornacchia提出，“我們希望塔夫茨的管理層會在星期二能坐下來，聆聽護士的聲音和決定會真正的談判。”

“醫院想減掉過百位塔夫茨護士的長期賺得的退休福利，”Havlicek Cornacchia 說。“取而代之，我們已經提出改用另一個退休計劃，會立即為醫院節省1千1百萬美元的費用，并能減少醫院8千5百萬的保險支出。我們已經準備好星期二談判，能找到合適我們的病人和護士的解決方法，但是如果塔夫茨不願意談判，我們也準備好24小時的罷工。”

注冊護士星期二至星期四的公共時間表

7月11日星期二早上10時：塔夫茨護士會回到波士頓99號Summer街的聯邦調解員辦公室進行談判。

7月12日星期三早上7時：如果塔夫茨管理層拒絕接受一個公平的合約去保護病人和尊重護士，一天的罷工正式展開。護士和支持者會在醫院800號華盛頓街的正門外集會。抗議將會展開，並在24小時的罷工和醫院有可能會閉關的期間持續進行。

7月12日星期三中午12時和下午5時：在醫院800號華盛頓街的正門外，與護士，職員，社區支持者和地方領袖一起集會示威。

7月13日星期四上午6是59分：注冊護士一天的罷工終結。護士會在800號華盛頓節門外集會，當日值班的護士計劃返回塔夫茨醫院照顧病人。塔夫茨醫院已威脅會4天把護士關在外面。

塔夫茨醫院罷工替工護士的真相

在塔夫茨的護士24小時罷工的期間，管理層打算帶入全國國地的臨時替工護士，他們對醫院毫不認識，跟塔夫茨的護士不一樣因爲不是專科，麻州護士協會認爲這個做法會危害病人護理。

歷史，學術性研究，和有工會的注冊護士全都能作證，臨時的替工護士是不能取代暫時失去一班有專業領域的護士，他們並非常熟悉自己的病人和醫院的運作。在2010年，國家經濟研究局的一項調查總括，“招聘替工明顯不會有幫助：在罷工的情況下，有聘請替工的醫院不會比沒有請替工的醫院有更好的服務。在各種情況下，需要深切護理的病人在護士罷工的時候惡化的機會會變得更高。”http://www.nber.org/digest/jul10/w15855.htm

在2000年期間，在Worcester St. Vincent醫院一班麻州護士協會的護士曾經罷工，當時醫院行聘用了替工護士，來自同一間塔夫茨醫院正打算會聘用的罷工補替護士公司，有三名護士被解雇，分別因爲替工護士在病人手術后丟下了病人，還有帶錯了嬰兒給一個母親，這些全部都有在Worcester Telegram & Gazette 和WCVB視頻有新聞報道記錄的。根據Channel 5 的報道，有另一名病人被輸入了幾乎致命過量的嗎啡，正因爲一名替工護士誤會了醫生的指示。https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1LfVT2Ot3I

以下可以瞭解更多有關這些病人安全問題
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1LfVT2Ot3I>
<http://massnurses.org/news-and-events/p/openItem/10550>.

“即使在正常的情況下，也需要幾個星期才能訓練一個有經驗的護士去提供良好的護理”工會共同主席兼一名輸液/導管/認證放射有經驗的護士提出。“他們怎可以有期望一班來自全國不同地方，在這間醫院又毫無經驗的護士，能讓醫院安全地運作？這是不負責任的想法。與其發出最後聲言和花費數百萬美元去忽視我們，不如聽取我們的意見，提供一個公平，和能真正重視病人護理安全，而不是為了企業利潤的協議。”

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release                                              Contact: David Schildmeier, 781-249-0430

Date:  July 10, 2017

Tufts Medical Center Nurses to Return to Negotiations Tuesday, July 11 in Attempt to Avert One-Day Patient Safety Strike

RNs plan 24-hour strike on July 12 as nurses’ concerns over patient safety, lack of resources, 

retirement takeaway remains unresolved; Tufts threatens 4-day lockout

BOSTON – The registered nurses elected to represent their 1,200 colleagues at Tufts Medical Center will return to negotiations at the federal mediator’s office in Boston on Tuesday, July 11 in an attempt to reach an agreement with Tufts on safe patient care, retirement and other outstanding issues ahead of a historic 24-hour strike planned for July 12.

Tufts nurses, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, are prepared to hold a one-day strike beginning at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, July 12 and running until 6:59 a.m. on Thursday, July 13 unless Tufts agrees to a fair contract that properly values nurses and ensures patients have the highly skilled Tufts nursing care they need.

 “Tufts nurses have proposed solutions for our hospital’s staffing and patient care problems and a way to fund those solutions,” said Mary Havlicek Cornacchia, an OR nurse and bargaining unit co-chair. “We hope that Tufts management will sit down on Tuesday, listen to its nurses and decide to actually negotiate.

 “The hospital wants to take away long-earned retirement benefits of hundreds of Tufts nurses,” Havlicek Cornacchia said. “Instead, we have proposed a different pension plan that would mean $11 million in immediate savings for the hospital and an $85 million reduction in liabilities. We are ready to negotiate for real solutions for our patients and our nurses on Tuesday, but we are also prepared to strike for 24 hours if Tufts is not willing to negotiate.”

RN Public Schedule for Tuesday-Thursday

10 a.m. Tuesday, July 11: Tufts nurses will return to the bargaining table at the federal mediator’s office at 99 Summer St. in Boston.

7 a.m. Wednesday, July 12: One-day strike begins if Tufts management refuses to agree to a fair contract that protects patients and values nurses. Nurses and supporters will gather outside the main entrance of the hospital at 800 Washington St. in Boston. Picketing will begin and continue through the duration of the 24-hour strike and potential hospital lock out.

12 p.m. and 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 12: Rallies outside the hospital at 800 Washington St. in Boston with nurses, staff, community supporters and local leaders.

6:59 a.m. Thursday, July 13: One-day RN strike ends. Nurses will gather outside the hospital at 800 Washington St. in Boston and those scheduled to work plan to enter Tufts to care for their patients. The hospital has threatened to lock out nurses for four days.

The Truth about Tufts Strike Replacement Nurses

During the planned 24-hour strike by Tufts nurses, TMC management plans to bring in mercenary replacement nurses from all over the country who do not know the hospital, are not highly specialized like the Tufts nurses, and who the Massachusetts Nurses Association believes will endanger patient care.

History, academic studies and unionized registered nurses can all testify to the fact that mercenary replacement nurses cannot make up for the temporary loss of nurses who are specialized in their fields and knowledgeable of their patients and the hospital systems. A 2010 study by the National Bureau of Economic 

Research<http://www.nber.org/digest/jul10/w15855.html> concluded, “Hiring replacement workers apparently does not help: hospitals that hired replacement workers performed no better during strikes than those that did not hire substitute employees. In each case, patients with conditions that required intensive nursing were more likely to fare worse in the presence of nurses' strikes.”

During the 2000 strike by MNA nurses at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester, three replacement nurses recruited by the same strike replacement nurse agency Tufts plans to use, were fired after separate incidents in which they left a patient alone after surgery and also gave the wrong baby to a nursing mother, according to news reports by the Worcester Telegram & Gazette and WCVB Channel 5<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1LfVT2Ot3I>. Another patient was given a nearly fatal overdose of morphine because a replacement nurse misunderstood a doctor’s order, according to Channel 5.

See more about these patient safety problems in a video here<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1LfVT2Ot3I> and read more about this issue here<http://massnurses.org/news-and-events/p/openItem/10550>.

“It can take several weeks to orientate even an experienced nurse to provide quality care under normal conditions," said Barbara Tiller, union co-chair and an IV/PICC/CRN nurse. “How can they possibly expect to safely operate this hospital with nurses drawn from all parts of the country who have no experience with our facility? It is irresponsible. Instead of issuing ultimatums and spending millions of dollars to ignore us, it's time they listened to us and offered a fair settlement that values safe patient care over corporate profits.”

Karen Y. Chen, Executive Director

Chinese Progressive Association 華人前進會

28 Ash Street, Boston, MA 02111

p:617-357-4499 f:617-357-9611

www.cpaboston.org

Tufts Medical Center Nurses Will Wage One-Day Strike on July 12 As Last-Ditch Talks Fail to Reach Agreement

RNs plan 24-hour strike as nurses’ concerns over patient safety, lack of resources, retirement takeaway remain unresolved; Tufts threatens four-day lock out

BOSTON – The 1,200 registered nurses at Tufts Medical Center, who are represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, will conduct an historic one-day strike tomorrow as the latest round of negotiations held today at the federal mediator’s office failed to achieve a settlement that ensures patients have the highly skilled nursing care they deserve. The strike will begin at 7 a.m. on Wednesday and run until 6:59 a.m. on Thursday, July 13. It will be the first strike by nurses in Boston in over 30 years, and the largest nurses’ strike in Massachusetts history.

“We came to the table today hoping to reach an agreement, but Tufts management is determined to force a strike and a subsequent lock out of our nurses,” said Mary Havlicek Cornacchia, an OR nurse and bargaining unit co-chair. “This decision really shows administration’s lack of respect for its nurses and for the safety our patients.”

The nurses are seeking much needed improvements in staffing levels to ensure nurses have more time to spend with patients as well as an increase in their salary to keep them competitive with other Boston hospitals (Tufts nurses are the lowest paid nurses in the city) and to preserve and enhance their pension benefit (which is also the worst in the city).   

“Instead of caring for our patients, the nurses of this hospital will be out on the strike line tomorrow to demonstrate our resolve and our commitment to fight for what is best for our patients and our professional practice,” said Barbara Tiller, union co-chair and an IV/PICC/CRN nurse. “We have been trying for months to convince Tufts management that our patients and nurses are suffering because they refuse to provide us with the resources, appropriate patient assignments, and the compensation we need to ensure quality patient care. We will be on the street tomorrow, Tufts nurses will not back down.”

RN Public Schedule for Tuesday-Thursday

7 a.m. Wednesday, July 12: One-day strike begins. Nurses and supporters will gather outside the main entrance of the hospital at 800 Washington St. in Boston. Picketing will begin and continue through the duration of the 24-hour strike.

12 p.m. and 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 12: Rallies outside the hospital at 800 Washington St. in Boston with nurses, staff, community supporters, and local leaders.

6:59 a.m. Thursday, July 13: One-day RN strike ends. Nurses will gather outside the hospital at 800 Washington St. in Boston and those scheduled to work plan to enter Tufts to care for their patients. The hospital has threatened to lock out nurses for four days.

The Truth about Tufts Strike Replacement Nurses

During the planned 24-hour strike by Tufts nurses, TMC management plans to bring in mercenary replacement nurses from all over the country who do not know the hospital, are not highly specialized like the Tufts nurses, and who the Massachusetts Nurses Association believes will endanger patient care.

History, academic studies and unionized registered nurses can all testify to the fact that mercenary replacement nurses cannot make up for the temporary loss of nurses who are specialized in their fields and knowledgeable of their patients and the hospital systems. A 2010 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research concluded, “Hiring replacement workers apparently does not help: hospitals that hired replacement workers performed no better during strikes than those that did not hire substitute employees.”

During the 2000 strike by the MNA nurses at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester, three replacement nurses recruited by the same strike replacement nurse agency Tufts plans to use were fired after separate incidents in which they left a patient alone after surgery and also gave the wrong baby to a nursing mother, according to news reports by the Worcester Telegram & Gazette and WCVB Channel 5. Another patient was given a nearly fatal overdose of morphine because a replacement nurse misunderstood a doctor’s order, according to Channel 5.

“It can take several weeks to train even an experienced nurse to provide quality care under normal conditions in a new hospital setting,” said Havlicek Cornacchia. “How can they possibly expect to safely operate this hospital with nurses drawn from all parts of the country who have no experience with our facility? It is irresponsible. Instead of issuing ultimatums and spending millions of dollars to ignore us, they should have listened to us and offered a fair settlement.”

Key Issues in Dispute

The nurses’ key issues in these talks continue to be:

·       The need for improved nurse staffing with safer patient assignments for nurses throughout the hospital

·       The need for more IV nurses and clinical resource nurses

·       The need to have charge nurses who are free of patient assignments at the start of all shifts, in all units. A charge nurse is an RN who is responsible for managing all aspects of nursing responsibilities during each shift, from processing patients in and out to delegating nursing rounds. Being free of an initial patient assignment will allow Tufts’ charge nurses to provide desperately needed support to patients and nurses at the busiest time (i.e., change of shift)

·       The need for wage improvements that will make the hospital market competitive, thereby improving nurse recruitment and retention

·       The need for pension protections/improvements that will make the hospital market competitive

 Concerns over Safe Staffing and Safe Patient Care

In the current environment at Tufts, nurses across all units and floors are contending with unsafe staffing situations on a daily basis, with many units reporting constant unsafe staffing levels. The result is too many RNs are regularly carrying patient assignments that are too large and unsafe. Every day, the hospital sends RNs blast-text messages asking them to pick up shifts that are open due to the bare-bones approach management uses to staff the hospital.

Simultaneously, hospital management insists on using a fragmented and broken system of temporary reassignment as a way of trying to deal with its chronic staffing challenges. This results in RNs being directed to work on units and floors where they are unfamiliar and/or untrained to safely care for patients. In addition, there are not enough specialty nurses to help with patients’ IV needs or in an emergency.

“We have offered a variety of proposals — and amended proposals, and doubly amended proposals — that would address staffing,” said Tiller. “But management’s responses have been so inadequate that they don’t get to the heart of the problem. They insist on offering us staffing proposals that are disjointed and superficial. What we need from them is simple: more full-time RNs and specialty nurses, and charge nurses without an initial patient assignment. That’s what will keep our patients safe.”

Market Competitive Compensation

In addition to having some of the worst staffing conditions in Boston, Tufts Medical Center has also become the hospital that offers its nurses the lowest wages and retirement benefits in the city. “The hospital’s proposals have not adequately addressed these issues,” said Havlicek Cornacchia. “Without market competitive wages and benefits, Tufts cannot recruit and retain the nurses it needs, and the staffing problem spirals downward.”

Management has also proposed freezing the defined benefit pension plan for approximately 350 RNs and instituting a divisive, inequitable, and complex catchup mechanism as part of a proposed higher-risk 403(b) matching program. That change would result in significant losses in retirement funding for most nurses. Meanwhile, RNs already in the defined contribution plan would continue to receive the lowest employer contribution of all nurses in the city.

The nurses have countered with an innovative proposal that would benefit all RNs while still saving the hospital millions of dollars annually. This proposed plan, which is a multi-employer defined benefit pension plan, would add as much as $11 million to Tufts’ bottom line, would eliminate more than $85 million in pension liability. Management has refused to engage in any real talks on this issue.

“The pay and retirement benefits at Tufts just aren’t competitive,” said Tiller. “We know it, Tufts knows it, and the other hospitals in the city know it. As a result, we’ve become the nurse training ground for all the other facilities. New graduates come here, they get their experience, and they move on. This cycle won’t stop until the hospital makes us competitive. And in the meantime, our patients suffer.”

MAYOR WALSH RELEASES PERFORMING ARTS FACILITIES ASSESSMENT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT

MAYOR WALSH RELEASES PERFORMING ARTS FACILITIES ASSESSMENT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT

BOSTON - Wednesday, July 12, 2017 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) today released a draft Performing Arts Facilities Assessment that aims to understand the current and anticipated venue challenges of local performing arts organizations in Boston. The release of the draft kicks off a 30 day comment period and the public is encouraged to review the assessment and submit feedback on bostonplans.org. The BPDA commissioned the assessment in response to a strategy in the City's Boston Creates plan, which states that the City of Boston must support the availability, affordability and sustainability of cultural spaces and facilities for arts and cultural organizations of all sizes in Boston. "In Boston it's our goal to harness our City's innovation and creativity to build a better, healthier and more thriving City that continues to lift up all our residents," said Mayor Walsh. "Through this assessment, we have collaborated with residents and stakeholders throughout Boston and the entire region to pinpoint what resources exist, and what resources are needed to support artists. I look forward to continued feedback from our residents as we work to finalize this assessment and determine next steps." TDC, a nonprofit management consulting and research firm, was engaged to conduct the study in partnership with the BPDA and the Mayor's Office. The study was guided by three questions: 1.  What is the supply of spaces that serve the performing arts in Greater Boston? 2.  What is the demand for spaces that serve the performing arts in Greater Boston? 3.  How well do supply and demand align? Researchers spoke to individuals from across the arts and related fields, including leaders of large producing organizations, artists creating one-person shows, managers of venues for global corporations, volunteers at community centers, and those who support the sector through advocacy, providing services, philanthropy, and setting policy. The assessment revealed the following conclusions: There is excess supply. Certain types and sizes of performing arts spaces have availability for rehearsals and/or performances. There is unmet demand. Many artists and arts organizations are searching for additional or different rehearsal and/or performance spaces. The need for rehearsal space is particularly high. Excess supply and unmet demand do not align due to issues of appropriateness, price, and location of available spaces. Because users cannot pay the full operating or capital costs of facilities, the market requires subsidy to adequately support facilities. Economic realities for both space users and space providers prevent them from finding a pricing "sweet spot" absent significant and ongoing additional support to run, maintain, and update facilities. The assessment identifies potential solutions that would require a new approach to how facilities are financially supported, operated, and managed in Boston and the creation of new tools for: Enhancing partnerships between developers, the City, and the local arts community. Stimulating new sources of funding in the philanthropic community. Developing funding mechanisms that provide ongoing support to increase access to spaces and ensure they are adequately maintained. Ensuring that any new spaces are operated effectively with incentive structures that elevate the needs of the local performing arts community. A final report will be issued following the 30 day public comment period. "I think this report and the detailed research that went into it is of great value to the City and the arts community," Gary Dunning, President & Executive Director of Celebrity Series. "I commend the Mayor's Office for committing the time and effort to conduct this assessment. Hopefully, it will encourage continued dialogue and eventual actions that will provide more and better facilities for the performing arts, which will strengthen and enhance Boston's standing as a cultural capital." Boston's Performing Arts Facilities Assessment is part of Boston Creates, a year-long community engagement effort designed to help local government identify cultural needs, opportunities, and resources and to prioritize, coordinate, and align public and private resources to strengthen cultural vitality over the long term. The full cultural plan can be found online at plan.bostoncreates.org. Since the launch of Boston Creates in 2016, Mayor Walsh has committed to leading the implementation of the plan by building City resources for arts and culture and creating the necessary partnerships to address the critical needs identified through the planning process. A full list of Boston Creates plan achievements to date can be found here. Boston Creates, and the Performing Arts Facilities Assessment, are part of the Walsh Administration's commitment to planning a thriving, inclusive Boston for every resident. On Tuesday, Mayor Walsh launched Imagine Boston 2030, the first citywide plan in over 50 years. Imagine Boston 2030 prioritizes inclusionary growth and puts forth a comprehensive vision to boost quality of life, equity and resilience in every neighborhood across the City.

麻州房屋法庭轄區將擴及摩頓市

State Housing Court Jurisdiction Extended to Malden

MALDEN – For the first time since its inception, the state housing court’s jurisdiction will be expanded to cover Malden, Representative Steve Ultrino (D – Malden) announced today. Approximately 69% of Massachusetts residents currently have access to a housing court, but Malden and 83 other communities do not.

“So much depends on a person’s housing: their community, their child’s education, their health, and even their employment,” said Representative Steve Ultrino. “By expanding access to housing courts, we can address housing instability and help landlords and tenants resolve disputes fairly, equitably, and affordably.”

Representative Ultrino has been advocating for the housing court to be expanded to Malden since he first took office in 2015. He has supported budget amendments and submitted testimony in support of the housing court expansion, working closely with the effort’s lead sponsor, Representative Chris Walsh (D – Framingham).

Housing courts connect both landlords and tenants with judges, attorneys, and agencies with expertise in navigating federal, state, and local laws on housing. Housing courts respond quickly and efficiently to code violations, protecting a building’s tenants from unsatisfactory housing conditions. Furthermore, housing courts serve the most vulnerable by helping low-income, elderly, immigrant, and disabled residents find and retain housing. They are specially equipped with court staff who can advise tenants and landlords on housing matters, saving money and ensuring access to justice by helping those without legal representation.

The state housing court, which began at Boston Housing Court in 1971, has grown slowly to cover 80% of the state geographically. However, one-third of the state’s population, including in Malden and much of Middlesex County, is not connected with a housing court.

“One of the most common constituent concerns I hear about is housing,” said Representative Ultrino. “We have a great need for housing court services in Malden, and I’m glad that our community will finally have full access to this important part of our justice system.”

計畫未來50年的"想像波士頓2030"最終版本出爐

MAYOR WALSH RELEASES FINAL VERSION OF IMAGINE BOSTON 2030, A GUIDE TO INCLUSIVE LONG-TERM GROWTH FOR BOSTON

Imagine Boston 2030 to guide long-term growth to boost quality of life, equity and resilience in every neighborhood across city

BOSTON - Tuesday, July 11, 2017 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the release of the final version of Imagine Boston 2030 , the first citywide plan in over 50 years. Imagine Boston 2030 prioritizes inclusionary growth and puts forth a comprehensive vision to boost quality of life, equity and resilience in every neighborhood across the city. In Upham's Corner, alongside representatives from nearly every city department, residents, community partners and elected officials, Mayor Walsh celebrated this milestone in Boston's history, which has been underway since fall of 2015 and has been shaped by the input of over 15,000 residents of Boston. The plan outlines how Boston is experiencing an economic and population boom, and with that brings an opportunity to provide additional pathways for economic mobility and avenues to improve quality of life throughout the City, while boosting affordability and resiliency. Demonstrating to residents his commitment to making these visions a reality, Mayor Walsh announced that the Imagine Boston 2030 showcase event site on Columbia Road will be the future site of the $18 million Upham's Corner library branch. The Upham's Corner Branch opened at its current location at 500 Columbia Road in 1904.   Upham's Corner serves as an example of Imagine Boston 2030's concepts carried out to enhance the city's neighborhoods, with investments being made in the Upham's Corner library branch and Mary Hannon Park, which will receive a $896,000 investment through the $2.08 billion FY18-FY22 Imagine Boston Capital Plan. As part of the event, residents were able to participate in interactive exhibits that showcased various planning efforts underway and brought to life how this plan will continue to be implemented moving forward. "Welcoming thoughtful growth, keeping residents in their neighborhoods, and preserving our culture and identity will make Boston a thriving city for generations to come," said Mayor Walsh. "Imagine Boston 2030 provides a roadmap for just that. With the help of all the residents who offered their feedback, Imagine Boston sets a course for the future, guides our growth and builds on our existing strengths. I look forward to seeing our vision come to life in every neighborhood in our city." "Imagine Boston provides a framework to capitalize on the distinct identity of each neighborhood and take steps to enhance the quality of life in every corner of Boston," said Rebekah Emanuel, Executive Director of Imagine Boston 2030. "The focal points of the plan offer insight as to how we can build up our communities in ways that are forward-looking and chart a course for the city's long-term growth." Imagine Boston 2030 identifies five action areas to guide Boston's growth, enhancement and preservation and is paired with a set of metrics that will evaluate progress and evaluate successes. Enhance neighborhoods: Improve urban vitality and affirm each neighborhood's distinct identity by investing in the public realm, strengthening neighborhood services and connectivity, and encouraging opportunities for development. For example, in Upham's Corner, the City will strengthen the community's historic main street fabric, emphasizing economic mobility and local innovation, fostering local arts, preserving affordability, and preventing displacement. Encourage a mixed-use core: Encourage a dense, walkable core in our job centers where more people live, work and gather. For example, in the Shawmut Peninsula, historic preservation, strategic growth, and public realm investments can support an active mixed-use vision, including developing a Shawmut Peninsula 2100 Plan that considers major infrastructure projects, land use, and policies. Capital Plan investments include: $20 million for Commonwealth Avenue Phase 2A for improving walkability, bikeability, roadway realignment for transit. Expand neighborhoods: In six transit-accessible areas at the edges of existing neighborhoods, guide new housing and commercial growth, supported by public realm and climate investments. Plans for each of the expanded neighborhoods will integrate land use regulations and capital investments and will be guided by community planning processes: A walkable, mixed-use center for the innovation economy that builds on momentum of nearby economic activity and transit access.   Capital Investments include: Rutherford Ave Redesign ($14.8M) - Addressing climate, active transportation, congestion; North Washington St Bridge ($165M) - Connecting Charlestown more easily to the rest of the city, improving mobility; Climate Ready Charlestown study for climate protections in Sullivan Square.An area where critical industrial uses will be preserved and strengthened, while transit-oriented job and housing growth will enhance connections to neighboring areas. An active, urban waterfront where mixed-use development and a vibrant public realm transform how Downtown and the South Boston Waterfront meet and how Bostonians interact with the water.Capital investments include: South Bay Harbor Trail ($4.2M) - Allowing active transportation and recreation and connecting parts of our cityA lively, mixed use community, including quality transit and open space that responds to the surrounding marsh and river environment. A center for 21st century manufacturing that creates quality jobs, and encourages transit-oriented development.Capital Investments include: Wolcott Square traffic signal improvements ($1.4M) - proactively addressing safety and congesting, which are foundational to everything else in Readville.Beacon Yards:  Create a waterfront for future generations: Create a waterfront for all Bostonians by activating open spaces, connecting neighborhoods to the waterfront, creating sustainable funding models, and investing in proactive climate planning and infrastructure. Imagine Boston will do this by activating an urban waterfront in Fort Point Channel and South Boston waterfront, support large connected open spaces at Beacon Yards, foster signature open spaces such at Suffolk Downs, connect neighborhoods to the waterfront through the completion of the Emerald Necklace, encourage a modern, industrial innovation district at Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park, and develop climate resilience plans.   Capital investments include: Northern Ave Bridge to create safe, reliable, accessible transportation; Martin's Park ($7.0M) - Creating an accessible park along the waterfront to invest in new open spaces for kids and families. Generate networks of opportunity in the Fairmount Corridor: Expand access to opportunity and reduce disparities in the neighborhoods along the Fairmount Corridor through coordinated investments in transportation, neighborhood vibrancy and education. The plan identifies ways to invest in enhanced neighborhood Main Streets and transit station areas, improve transportation connections, frequency and experience for riders along the Fairmount/Indigo Line, support job growth and training in transit accessible areas, invest in quality pre-K and K-12 education for the growing school-aged populations in the corridor, invest in Franklin Park and Columbia Road, and implement anti-displacement policies to ensure that existing communities benefit from investments. Boston is prioritizing affordability and anti-displacement along the corridor. Of the units in the current development pipeline along key portions of the corridor, 65 percent are affordable. The Imagine Boston 2030 plan is supported by the Imagine Boston Capital Plan, the City's five-year spending plan that will move Boston residents' priorities from idea to action, and invest in creating the city Bostonians imagine for the future. An estimated 77 percent of the investments in the FY18-FY22 Capital Plan are aligned with the City's planning efforts. In addition to investing in initiatives to begin achieving priorities laid out in the plan, Imagine Boston 2030 also establishes a set of goals and core metrics that will allow the City to track progress and evaluate success. The metrics will be evaluated on a yearly basis, and will measure progress towards: job creation, reducing emissions, walkability, reducing the wealth gap and more. "Imagine Boston 2030 lays out important strategies for addressing the challenges facing our neighborhoods, including access to quality jobs, promoting development without displacement, and addressing the severe wealth gap in our City," said Juan Leyton, Executive Director of the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative. "DSNI will continue to work with the city to seek resources and investments necessary to implement these strategies and ensure that the residents who have fought so hard to improve their neighborhoods are able to live, work and play in Boston for many years to come." "It's no easy feat to develop a coherent vision for a city of almost 700,000 people, but that's what this plan is. It's a compelling blueprint for how Boston can grow, while preserving the things that make our city special," said Marc Draisen, executive director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.  "As a regional planner, I know that Boston's new master plan sets a high bar and a strong example for other cities and towns in the region, and as a lifelong resident of Boston, I'm eager to get to work with Mayor Walsh on implementing this strong new vision for our future." "The Fairmount Indigo Network wishes to thank the City of Boston and the Imagine Boston 2030 staff in recognizing many important community development and capital improvements necessary to improve the quality of life for residents of the Fairmount Line corridor neighborhoods of Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan and Hyde Park," said Allentza Michel, on behalf of the Fairmount/Indigo Network. The final Imagine Boston 2030 plan follows a two-year long process that engaged over 15,000 residents, who set the initial goals in Guiding Growth Toward an Inclusive City in March 2016  offered implementation ideas for Expanding Opportunity in November 2016, and helped refine these ideas through the release of the draft Imagine Boston 2030 plan in May. The final plan is supported by guiding principles and initiatives that bring together and build on the City's planning efforts, including Boston Creates, Go Boston 2030, Climate Ready Boston, Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030, BuildBPS, Economic Equity Agenda, Age Friendly Boston, Vision Zero, Boston's Resilience Strategy and more. The initiatives outline commitments around anti-displacement, immigrant advancement, climate planning and flood protection, universal pre-kindergarten, community planning and land use, and more. To read the final Imagine Boston 2030 plan, please visit here.

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Baker-Polito Administration to Announce 2017 Summer Nights Initiative

BOSTON – Tomorrow, Governor Charlie Baker will join Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton, Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Leo Roy and local legislators to announce the 2017 Summer Nights Initiative to increase programming and extend the hours of operations at select pools and athletic complexes in urban areas across the state. The Baker-Polito Administration started the Summer Nights Initiative in 2015, benefitting youth within the cities of Boston, Chicopee, Everett, Fall River, Holyoke, Lawrence, Malden, Springfield, and Worcester during summer evenings.

OWNER OF HOME HEALTH AGENCY AND EMPLOYEE ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY STEALING NEARLY $2.7 MILLION FROM MASSHEALTH

OWNER OF HOME HEALTH AGENCY AND EMPLOYEE ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY STEALING NEARLY $2.7 MILLION FROM MASSHEALTH

Defendants Charged with Routinely Overbilling MassHealth, Falsely Billing for Unauthorized Services that Were Never Provided 

BOSTON – The owner of a Boston-based home health agency and an employee have been arrested in connection with allegedly stealing nearly $2.7 million from the state’s Medicaid program (MassHealth) by routinely overbilling and falsely billing for services that were not authorized or provided to patients, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today.

Elena Kurbatzky, age 44, of Boston, and Natan Zalyapin, age 43, of Burlington, were arrested last night by Massachusetts State Police assigned to the AG’s Office. A Suffolk County Grand Jury returned indictments charging Kurbatzky, Zalyapin and the company, Harmony Home Health Care, LLC (Harmony), on Monday.

“We allege that these defendants stole millions of MassHealth funds meant to provide health care for those in need,” said AG Healey. “My office is committed to protecting Medicaid from fraud and abuse.”

Kurbatzky was indicted on charges of Medicaid False Claims (3 counts), Larceny over $250 by False Pretenses (3 counts), and Medicaid Member Eligibility Fraud (1 count). Zalyapin was indicted on charges of Medicaid False Claims (2 counts) and Larceny over $250 by False Pretenses (2 counts). Harmony was indicted on charges of Medicaid False Claims (3 counts) and Larceny over $250 by False Pretenses (3 counts).

Kurbatzky and Zalyapin were arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court today where they pleaded not guilty to the charges. Zalyapin was released on personal recognizance and Kurbatzky was transferred to Boston Municipal Court on an outstanding warrant.

As conditions of their release, they must surrender their passports, be monitored by GPS, not travel outside of the state, check in weekly with the Probation Department, stay away from witnesses in the case, and not provide or bill for MassHealth services. They are scheduled to appear in Suffolk Superior Court for a hearing on Aug. 8. 

The company will be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court on Aug. 8.

Harmony is a home health agency located on Albany Street in Boston and Kurbatzky is the sole owner. The agency was established to provide home health services to individuals covered by the MassHealth program, including skilled nursing, home health aide visits and physical, occupational, and speech therapies. Kurbatzky and Zalyapin are both registered nurses and allegedly provided the majority of nursing services to Harmony’s patients.

The AG’s Office began an investigation after the matter was referred by MassHealth, which suspected misconduct and fraudulent billing practices.

The AG’s investigation revealed that between February 2015 and October 2016, Harmony billed MassHealth for home health services allegedly provided to 38 patients, but either provided no services to those patients or billed for more services than were actually provided.

Specifically, authorities allege that on numerous instances, Harmony billed MassHealth for nurses who allegedly provided services to several patients in different locations at the exact same time, so those services could not physically have been performed as claimed.

The defendants also billed MassHealth for services that were not authorized by physicians and, in many cases, forged physician signatures on the patient plans of care in an attempt to show the services were authorized.

The defendants allegedly billed for services never provided to MassHealth members, including instances where the company billed for home health services while members were at inpatient facilities. Kurbatzky and Zalyapin also billed MassHealth for services that were not provided while they were traveling or while Zalyapin was working at other jobs. 

The defendants billed for physical, occupational, and speech therapy for the majority of Harmony’s MassHealth patients even though the services were not authorized by the patients’ physicians and Harmony did not employ licensed therapists to perform the alleged services.

Kurbatzky also allegedly made false statements or failed to disclose material facts in order to make herself eligible for MassHealth. She then allegedly billed MassHealth for services she purportedly received from Harmony that were not authorized by a physician. 

Based on these various schemes, the AG’s Office alleges that the defendants defrauded MassHealth of nearly $2.7 million dollars.

MassHealth provides healthcare products and services to eligible low-income individuals, including people with disabilities, children and senior citizens.

All of these charges are allegations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

This matter was handled by Assistant Attorneys General Jennifer Goldstein and Kevin Lownds and Investigators Christine Baker and Megan Corrigan, all of AG Healey’s Medicaid Fraud Division, with assistance from the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the AG’s Office, Victim Witness Advocate Amber Anderson, of the AG’s Victim Services Division, and the Office of the Inspector General. MassHealth provided invaluable assistance during this investigation.   

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CENTRAL LIBRARY RENOVATION RECEIVES MULTIPLE DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION AWARDS

Accolades include the prestigious 2017 AIA/ALA Library Building Awards & Boston Preservation Alliance Awards

BOSTON – July 11, 2017 – Boston Public Library’s $78 million Central Library Renovation has recently been awarded seven national and local awards, celebrating the project’s design excellence, preservation, and outstanding collaboration. Among the honors are the prestigious 2017 AIA/ALA Library Building Awards from the joint American Institute of Architects (AIA) and American Library Association (ALA) program as well as the Boston Preservation Alliance Preservation Achievement Award. The East Boston Branch of the Boston Public Library, which opened in 2013, was also recognized with a 2017 AIA/ALA Library Building Award. Sunday, July 9 marked the one year anniversary of the Central Library Renovation grand reopening.

The Central Library Renovation was a City of Boston capital project approved and executed under the leadership of Mayor Martin J. Walsh and in conjunction with the City of Boston Public Facilities Department and Boston Public Library. The project team includes architecture and design services by William Rawn Associates, Architects, Inc., construction manager, Consigli Construction Co., Inc., and owner’s project manager, PMA Consultants LLC.

“Boston Public Library is a place for all who seek educational opportunities and personal advancement,” said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. “I am proud that the Central Library Renovation has been so well received by both the preservation, design, and construction communities, as well as library patrons and visitors who spend time in this grand civic space in increasing numbers.”

The Central Library project, completed in July 2016, features updates to the lower level, first and second floors, mezzanine, and the building exterior of the Johnson building. Goals of the renovation included reconnecting the building to the street and providing a welcoming and twenty first century urban library experience to patrons and visitors from around the world. Offerings include a state of the art lecture hall, business library and innovation center, a new Children’s Library and Teen Central, a WGBH satellite news bureau and studio, a café, a hi-tech community learning center, and more.

“The Central Library Renovation has reinvented our building, reconnected us to the city, and transformed our library services,” said David Leonard, President of the Boston Public Library. “These awards are a reflection of the thoughtful planning and engagement work we did with a multitude of stakeholders and partners as we developed a vision for an inviting, dynamic, and modern space, responsive to twenty first century urban civic life with a strong connection to the City.”

“We are grateful and excited that the Mayor and people from all parts of the City have responded so enthusiastically to the civic transformation which took place one year ago at the Boston Public Library,” said William Rawn, FAIA of William Rawn Associates, Architects, Inc.

“We are incredibly proud that the Central Library Renovation continues to be honored with such distinguished recognition,” said Matthew Consigli, President of Consigli Construction Co., Inc. “The Boston Public Library serves thousands of residents in our community every day, and the positive feedback we receive from library patrons is just as gratifying.”

AIA/ALA Library Building Award

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and American Library Association (ALA) recognized the Central Library Renovation and the construction of the East Boston Branch of the Boston Public Library with 2017 AIA/ALA Library Building Awards. The AIA and the ALA developed this award program to encourage and recognize excellence in the architectural design of libraries. Both buildings were designed by William Rawn Associates, Architects, Inc. The awards were accepted at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago in late June by Cliff Gayley, Principal, William Rawn Associates, Architects, Inc.  and David Leonard, President, and Michael Colford, Director of Library Services, of the Boston Public Library.

Boston Preservation Alliance Preservation Achievement Awards

The Boston Preservation Alliance (BPA) Preservation Achievement Awards are bestowed annually to honor outstanding achievements in historic preservation and compatible new construction in Boston.  These awards will be presented at the BPA annual event at Fenway Park on September 19.

Boston Society of Landscape Architects – 2017 Merit Award for Design

This spring, the Boston Society of Landscape Architects awarded Boston Public Library with the Merit Award for Design. The exterior landscape was designed by Reed Hilderbrand, under the guidance of William Rawn Associates, Architects, Inc.

Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) Charter Award

Boston Public Library received the Grand Prize for the Congress for the New Urbanism Charter Award for the Central Library Renovation on May 5. Since 2002, CNU's annual Charter Awards have recognized outstanding achievements in architectural, landscape, and urban design and planning worldwide. Regarded as the preeminent award for excellence in urban design, the CNU Charter Awards honors a select number of winners and honorable mentions—including one grand professional prize and one grand academic prize for students. Winning projects represent major contributions to building more equitable, sustainable, connected, healthy, and prosperous communities.

Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) New England Chapter – CMAA Project Achievement Award

In early May, the CMAA New England Chapter awarded Boston Public Library, PMA Consultants LLC, and Consigli Construction Co., Inc. with the CMAA Project Achievement Award in the Renovation/Modernization category, recognizing the transformation of the Central Library.

Illuminating Engineering Society – Section Award

On May 25, the Boston/Rhode Island sections of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America awarded Boston Public Library with their Section Award.  This award is in recognition of professionalism, ingenuity, and originality in lighting design based upon the individual merit of each entry against specific criteria.

Paul & Niki Tsongas Award for Biggest Impact in an Urban Preservation Project

On May 10, Preservation Massachusetts awarded Boston Public Library with the Paul & Niki Tsongas Award for Biggest Impact in an Urban Preservation Project. This year’s award program celebrated the projects and collaborative teams that embody the “Power of Preservation” by showcasing the importance, impact and invaluable nature of preservation across Massachusetts and nationwide.