A cluster of nurses at Newton-Wellesley Hospital have reportedly been recognized with mind tumors, in keeping with hospital officers who’re assuring workers and sufferers that there’s “no environmental risk” on the facility.
However the Massachusetts Nurses Affiliation says the hospital’s environmental testing was “not comprehensive,” because the union continues to research the scenario.
The nurses recognized with mind tumors have labored within the maternal care labor/supply unit on the hospital’s fifth ground.
As of earlier this week, 11 workers who labored sooner or later and for various durations on the fifth ground had been interviewed by the Mass Basic Brigham Occupational Health Service.
5 circumstances had been decided to be mind tumors of three differing types — all of which had been benign (non-cancerous). The one sort of benign tumor that had a couple of case was meningioma.
Six circumstances had been decided to not be mind tumors, however quite different well being considerations.
“Based on the results of the extensive and deliberate investigation… we want to reassure our dedicated team members and all of our patients that there is not an environmental risk at Newton-Wellesley Hospital,” Mass Basic Brigham wrote in its “Fifth Floor Work Environment FAQs” after a workers city corridor in regards to the scenario.
“We take this very seriously; our top priority is providing high-quality care in a safe and healthy environment for our staff and patients,” Mass Basic Brigham added.
This case at Newton-Wellesley Hospital was first reported by WBZ.
After hospital officers discovered of the reported mind tumors, they performed an investigation with the Division of Occupational Health and Security, Newton-Wellesley Security Officer, radiation and pharmaceutical security places of work, and exterior environmental consultants.
“Every staff member who came forward was given the opportunity to be interviewed by the Occupational Health and Safety team to evaluate each diagnosis in the context of their individual medical history and risk factors,” hospital officers stated in a press release. “To evaluate for any possible environmental exposures in that area of the hospital, comprehensive environmental assessments following CDC guidelines began in December.
“The investigation found no environmental risks which could be linked to the development of a brain tumor,” the officers stated, later including, “Based on these results, we can confidently reassure our dedicated team members at Mass General Brigham/Newton-Wellesley Hospital and all our patients that there is no environmental risk at our facility. As always, the health and wellbeing of our staff, clinicians, and patients is our absolute top priority.”
Employees members have raised a number of considerations about this cluster of circumstances. The hospital addressed questions on whether or not mind tumor circumstances could be associated to: sporting masks through the pandemic, the consuming water, use of x-rays, or the pharmacy on the ground under.
“There is no scientific evidence linking long-term mask use (including processing/re-wearing of masks) to the development of brain tumors,” reads the Fifth Ground Work Setting FAQs.
Water serving the hospital is examined repeatedly by the Massachusetts Water Assets Authority.
“Out of an abundance of caution, additional water samples from the tap and ice machines have been sent for additional testing by Triumvirate Environmental, an independent environmental testing firm,” reads the FAQs. “Those results should be available in the coming week.”
Hospital officers stated they use applicable x-ray security strategies all through the hospital.
“To make sure that there was not another, unknown, source of ionizing radiation on the Fifth Floor, radiation levels were surveyed across the Fifth Floor using Geiger counters,” the hospital wrote. “This did not find any abnormal/increased levels of ionizing radiation.”
The pharmacy situated on the fourth ground processes chemotherapy medicines.
“These are handled within an independently ventilated, closed system and with appropriate precautions and controls that have been validated as part of this investigation,” the hospital wrote. “The hoods used in the Fourth Floor pharmacy have been installed and tested to ensure that they are functioning properly and safely ventilating away from the building. This system was re-tested by Triumvirate Environmental, an independent environmental firm, as part of the investigation, and was found to be operating properly.”
The Massachusetts Nurses Affiliation’s division of well being and security, consisting of occupational well being nurses, is investigating the scenario.
“We do not have a specific number (of nurses) we are releasing now because we are still verifying diagnoses via medical records. We do not have a specific cause as we are still investigating,” a spokesperson for the union stated in a press release.
“We brought this to the hospital in December to urge an investigation by MGB,” the union spokesperson added. “We have been in communication with NWH nurses about this regularly and specifically with nurses who are self-reporting.”
The union spokesperson stated the investigation is targeted on the maternity unit, although they’ve stories from different areas as properly.
“We are engaging with the hospital about their inquiry,” the union spokesperson stated. “They only spoke to a small number of nurses and their environmental testing was not comprehensive. The hospital cannot make this issue go away by attempting to provide a predetermined conclusion.”
