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Dr. Shahzad Khan, a pulmonologist at UMass Memorial Health, said people need to connect air quality with their health and any symptoms they might be feeling. “Any time there is an increase in particulates in the atmosphere and they are inhaled, it can cause a flare-up or exacerbation of health problems,” Khan said.

UMass Memorial Life Flight will have two of their medical evaluation helicopters available to inspect and the Fitchburg Fire Department will have their special “smoke house” and a firefighter for kids to experience a non-toxic smoke-filled room as well as snacks and beverages available for a small fee.

Dr. Eric Alper is a senior vice president, chief quality officer, and chief clinical informatics officer at UMass Memorial Health. “The AI isn't doing medicine,” said Alper, who is chief clinical informatics officer and senior vice president, chief quality officer in addition to his medical practice at UMass Memorial. Though the technology shouldn’t take the driver’s seat, the three believe AI in medical records might be the solution physicians have been waiting for, after years of burdensome electronic health record processes.

As the use of artificial intelligence is becoming more prevalent in health care, UMass Memorial Medical Center’s emergency room in Worcester last year quietly became the first level-one trauma center in the United States to implement KATE AI.

Now, after nearly 18 months, UMass Memorial has seen a significant increase in the accuracy of its initial assessment of the severity of patients’ conditions.

Solutions require a clear understanding of the scope of heat-related illness in Worcester, and that means there must be reliable data. That is a challenge because most hospitals, including UMass Memorial Health, the region’s largest health care system, don’t have clear data on the number of patients impacted by heat. 

There are many creative ways that hospitals and care providers support their communities beyond offering great medical care. In 2017 UMass Memorial Health chose to reimagine itself as an “anchor” hospital, taking on much more responsibility for the welfare of the communities it serves. Hear how in this conversation between John Haupert, president and CEO of Grady Health System and the 2023 Chair of AHA’s Board, and Doug Brown, president of Community Hospitals and chief anchor officer of UMass Memorial Health.

Kyle Osterman is a 9-year-old boy from North Grafton and Sutton who is on year two of his three-year-long treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Make-A-Wish says. Kyle has always wanted his own treehouse and his care team at UMass Memorial Health referred Kyle to Make-A-Wish to help make his dream a reality. 

WORCESTER, Mass. - The City of Worcester is taking treatment on the road with a new pilot program for emergency mental health and substance use calls. The Mental Health Community Mobile Crisis Response Pilot Program was developed by UMass Memorial Health’s Community Healthlink, and will use crisis teams to respond directly to the site of a mental health or substance use emergency.

Lori Simkowitz-Lavigne is the interim vice president for emergency services at UMass Memorial Health's Community Healthlink. She said while not every day, mental health clinicians are dispatched regularly in an attempt to de-escalate tense situations. "To understand what might be going on for the individual mental health wise, thoughts, feelings, behavior wise, and to respond to those in an informed way," Simkowitz-Lavigne said.