A nurses’ union isn’t glad with a Mass Basic Brigham investigation that discovered the mind tumor cluster at Newton-Wellesley Hospital is just not linked to working circumstances.
The hospital has recognized six nurses who’ve labored on the ability’s fifth-floor maternity unit and reported benign (non-cancerous) mind tumors “occurring over many years,” in response to President Ellen A. Moloney.
“An ongoing investigation has found no evidence that these medical conditions were caused by the work environment,” Moloney wrote in a letter to the Newton-Wellesley hospital group earlier this week. She emphasised that Mass Basic Brigham’s Division of Occupational Health and Security’s evaluation remains to be happening.
“Based on the results of this rigorous ongoing investigation,” Moloney wrote within the replace on Tuesday, “we can assure you that no environmental risks have been identified at our hospital.”
In response to Moloney’s replace, the Massachusetts Nurses Affiliation mentioned in a press release that it doesn’t consider the “testing presented so far is definitive.”
The MNA’s division of well being and security, consisting of occupational well being nurses, additionally launched its personal investigation, which stays in progress. The union has mentioned the hospital’s environmental testing was not complete.
“We are discussing next steps with the hospital,” the union mentioned in a press release, “including sharing the results of our inquiry and bringing in an independent expert to review the situation.”
Moloney’s replace got here after one other former nurse at Newton-Wellesley Hospital reported earlier this month of being identified with a mind tumor, bringing the reported case rely as much as seven.
The nurses identified with mind tumors have labored within the maternal care labor/supply unit on the hospital’s fifth ground sooner or later.
Web site visits from the state Division of Public Health and the federal Occupational Security and Health Administration in April discovered no situation with working circumstances and environmental elements at Newton-Wellesley, in response to reviews from the companies that accompanied Moloney’s replace.
State officers famous {that a} web site go to included observing “radiation surveys throughout the facility, and a record review of x-ray equipment calibration and maintenance logs.” Just one staffer who has reported a mind tumor analysis has spoken with DPH, the company famous.
“DPH was not able to confirm or deny the diagnoses of brain tumors or other health conditions in other staff since no other staff have responded to DPH’s offer to discuss their concerns,” the company said.
DPH added that “most brain tumors develop for no apparent reason and are not associated with specific risk factors,” and that “typical latency after exposure is estimated to be 10-50 years.”
“While there has been a great deal of misinformation shared on social media and in other forums, we want to make sure you have the facts,” Moloney said in her replace.
