Rise in Respiratory Cases Across Massachusetts Forces ER restrictions There’s a rise in respiratory illness cases across the State of Massachusetts. Included is Covid, RSV, and the Flu. For example, the percentage of emergency department visits related to acute respiratory diseases was just over 8 percent in early July 2023Continue Reading

Heywood Hospital to Re-open Inpatient Mental Health Unit Heywood Hospital of Gardner MA has received approval from the Department of Mental Health to reopen 6 beds of the proposed 12 bed adult Mental Health Unit on January 11, 2024. Plan is to add additional beds at a future date. UnitContinue Reading

Heywood Hospital in Gardner MA with a Busy Lot On the day after Christmas, Heywood Hospital showed signs of a brisk business. Gardner Magazine observed parking lots throughout the City of Gardner. At the time of the photographs on December 26, 2023, the parking lots at Heywood Hospital were aboutContinue Reading

Covid Tests Available FREE to Greater Gardner MA households We hope you don’t need it, but there’s no need to pay for Covid-19 tests as Covid.gov is making as many as 8 tests available per household. The program began again on November 20, 2023. Anyone can order 4 tests, andContinue Reading

Heywood Healthcare is hiring. Article contains links to job opportunities. Heywood Hospital in Gardner Thriving and Hiring Despite Other Issues Here’s a comment from Renee Eldredge, a community health worker and a liaison with the “Handle with Care” initiative. She speaks on the positive impacts of Heywood in the community.Continue Reading

Urgent Care Services Availability in Gardner MA According to Heywood Healthcare,Heywood Urgent Care, Main Street, in Gardner is operating differently as of December 1, 2023 with urgent care services suspended to the general public, but available to Heywood primary care provider patients. Heywood Medical Group will enhance access to sameContinue Reading

Gardner MA Board of Health Holding Covid and Flu Vaccine Clinic Gardner Health Department posted,”COVID & FLU VACCINE CLINIC —- Wednesday, November 1st – Gardner City Hall, 98 Pleasant St., Gardner – 9:00AM – 12:00PM —- To Register: Call the Montachusett Public Health Network at 978-602-2356. Registration strongly encouraged; Walk-insContinue Reading

Gardner MA City Hall Pink to Raise Awareness of Breast Cancer On October 18, 2023, Gardner City Hall was colored pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Officials from the Gardner Team are pictured. Women in particular should get screenings as recommended by their physicians. Some statistics to think about: AboutContinue Reading

Massachusetts Respiratory Illness Dashboard, CLICK HERE. —- Covid 19 Data Dashboard, CLICK HERE —- Influenza Dashboard, CLICK HERE. Massachusetts Launches Respiratory Illness Dashboard Acute Respiratory Disease currently represents about 10% of all emergency room visits. Back in July, it represented about 8% of all emergency room visits. Based on pastContinue Reading

EDITORIAL: Heywood Hospital Unfairly Profiled in Another Publication In any Chapter 11 filing, there is likely to be debt and tons of it. Otherwise, there would be no need to file. With a non-profit entity like Heywood Healthcare, it’s especially true. Why? Because it’s not set up to make aContinue Reading

Heywood Healthcare of Gardner MA Takes Major Step to Ensure Operational Stability Heywood Healthcare has sought the protection of Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code to address financial challenges and regain stability. This comes as good news to the many patients of Heywood Hospital, Athol Hospital, and Heywood MedicalContinue Reading

Heywood Hospital Quickly Taking Over Rehabilitation Services After 3rd Party Issue Heywood Hospital had to spring in to action quickly when it was notified Sunday evening September 17, 2023 that its contracted provider of Heywood Rehabilitation Services was immediately suspending services. While this affected services and patient appointments at leastContinue Reading

Listen to this information-filled meeting on any device. CLICK PLAY. Gardner Public Safety Committee stars the Councilors and the Department Heads – Complete Details! The Gardner Public Safety Committee heard from Police Chief Eric McAvene, Building Commissioner Tom Zuppa, and Health Director Micah Bondeau. Listen to the meeting on anyContinue Reading

The Gardner City Council has before it a measure which would increase the number of allowed marijuana establishments in Gardner. Benefits to Gardner would include increased tax revenue from the added establishments. However, approval would almost certainly result in harm to the public health, considering the studies profiled by respectedContinue Reading

Gardner Woman Holding Yard Sale to Support Kidney Transplant Karen A. Rocheleau of 864 Timpany Boulevard in Gardner is getting a donation of a kidney from her husband. It’s a costly operation and she’s having a yard sale where all proceeds are going towards her kidney transplant. Yard sale isContinue Reading

Various links to contact information for various organizations are found on the City of Gardner Community Action Team page, CLICK HERE. Night of Hope at Monument Park on Thursday August 31, 2023 A FREE Community event featuring Music, Speakers, Memorial Video, and Luminaries will take place from 6:30pm to 8:30pmContinue Reading

Smaller Athol Hospital Wins Rating Contest Within Heywood Healthcare Family With 159 hospitals in the state of Massachusetts, most get a 3 star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, just like Heywood Hospital. However, Athol Hospital got 5 stars in 2023, an honor only 11 other hospitalsContinue Reading

GAAMHA CEO Celebrating A Decade in Role in September 2023 Gardner Magazine had the honor of speaking with Tracy Hutchinson, the Chief Executive Officer of GAAMHA Incorporated. Come this September she will have been in the role 10 years. Some may not know that Hutchinson served a dozen years asContinue Reading

Water Main Break creates Unwanted Geyser near MART Building on Main Street in Gardner On the morning of July 17, 2023, DPW crews were handed a challenge as a water main broke near the Montachusett Regional Transit Authority building on Main Street. Water is off while repairs are being madeContinue Reading

According to the posting, Sully lounges on the couch in front of the air conditioner at his family’s home in Gardner while not on duty. City of Gardner MA Welcomes “Sully” the Dog to the Gardner Fire Department Both the Gardner Fire Department and the Gardner PD are shown welcomingContinue Reading