UMass Memorial in Worcester adding more beds to lessen ER congestion
WORCESTER — UMass Memorial Medical Center received the approval of the state's Public Health Council last week to add 91 inpatient beds between two of its medical campuses, which will help reduce congestion in its emergency department.
Part of a $143 million renovation to be completed by 2025 between two buildings, 72 beds will be added to the University campus, and 19 beds will be added to Memorial campus and will allow patients to have proper care settings to get treatment after diagnosis in the emergency department.
"We're really excited. We think it's a huge win for the patients of Central Mass.," said Michael Gustafson, president of the medical center. "This will be a down payment, or helping to partially solve, what we think is a has been a long-standing problem."
The need to expand the number of beds existed before the COVID-19 pandemic, Gustafson said.
"Well before the pandemic, there were many days when we were at 100% occupancy," he said. "Thirty or 40 patients waiting the emergency department for an inpatient bed."
During that time, he said, about 15% to 20% of patients could not be accepted for treatment.
"That was about 2,000 patients," Gustafson said. "That has grown to be sometimes 30 to 40% of the time, we have to say 'no' and that's about 4,000 patients."
Concerned with the possibility of hospitals being congested this winter due to an increase of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases — particularly among children — as well as other concerns such as the flu and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, city officials recently urged residents to begin masking again.
With 749 total licensed beds across the entire medical, including 69 bassinets, the hospital will have over 800 when the renovations are complete.
New beds only in Worcester
Renovations will take place at the the six-story 378 Plantation St. building, adjacent to UMass Memorial Health's University Campus. The other will be at the hospital system's Memorial Campus on 119 Belmont St.
The new beds are only for the Worcester campus, said Ellen C. Carlucci, vice president of marketing, communications, development at the Marlborough campus. There are no plans to add additional beds at the Marlborough campus at this time, she said.
Heywood Hospital Vice President of External Affairs Dawn Casavant said that, due to the structural limitations of the hospital, they would not be able to increase the number of beds available to patients.
Milford Regional Medical Center CEO Ed Kelly said the hospital has no immediate plans to increase the amount of its licensed inpatient beds.
"As you know, such an increase would require a determination of need and other specific state-required processes," Kelly said. "However, we continue our diligence to work collaboratively internally and with our external health care partners to alleviate the high patient volume experienced in our emergency department."
The UMass Memorial facilities will be able to offer different services including treatment for septicemia/severe sepsis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, respiratory infection, pneumonia, heart failure, pulmonary edema and other medical conditions once renovations have been completed.
"I do really see this as a win for the patients of this part of the state and we're excited for our providers who are functioning in a very, very high capacity system," Gustafson said. "We're excited to be able to bring it on even though it's two years."
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: UMass Memorial Medical Center Worcester received the approval from state to add 91 beds
