In a concerning development, five nurses from the fifth-floor maternity unit of Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Boston have been diagnosed with brain tumors. The diagnoses indicate that the tumors are benign. As disturbing as this trend is, it has led the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) to look into a possible connection between the workplaces of these healthcare workers and the health concerns they’re facing.
Fergus Falls’s hospital has been rightly proactive in this, and done immediate environmental testing around the impacted nurses’ work area. Those assessments determined that there were no environmental hazards contributing to the occurrence of brain tumors among employees. The MNA is continuing its investigation, receiving over 300 survey responses and communications from nurses and other staff members regarding their health and experiences.
To better inform the story behind that decision, the hospital has conducted exit interviews with 11 staff members who’ve worked in the now closed maternity unit. The hospital wants to take a holistic look at those diagnoses and experiences. We shared the process and results from these interviews with each appropriate stakeholder group. This included union leaders and unit staffers, in addition to the findings of the environmental assessments.
“We can confidently reassure our dedicated team members … and all our patients that there is no environmental risk at our facility.” – Newton-Wellesley Hospital
Though the hospital has promised a thorough investigation, the MNA has raised alarm over what’s included—and excluded—from the investigation’s scope. They adamantly underscored the fact that they had only interviewed a few dozen nurses. They emphasized the need for more holistic follow-up to make sure it goes deeper.
“The hospital only spoke to a small number of nurses,” said a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Nurses Association.
As the MNA has noted, it will take at least a few weeks for them to process all the findings reported by members. They’ll screen the data and obtain subsequent clinical records, but only if survey participants consent to release them. The association’s call for a more transparent investigation process admits that the hospital’s response so far is not enough.
“The hospital cannot make this issue go away by attempting to provide a predetermined conclusion,” the MNA stated.
Newton-Wellesley Hospital is committed to making sure that our staff are healthy and safe. They’ll be going into detail about this crucial topic at a virtual town hall meeting coming up on July 23.
“As always, the health and wellbeing of our staff, clinicians, and patients is our absolute top priority,” affirmed Newton-Wellesley Hospital.