Mercy Medical Center’s Family Life Center has been recognized by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts with a Blue Distinction Centers+ for maternity care designation, as part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. To earn this designation, each facility must deliver quality care safely and cost-effectively.
The program plays a key role in the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s National Health Equity Strategy aimed at reducing racial health disparities and improving patient outcomes. To align with this strategy, the program enhanced its quality and measurement standards to recognize higher-quality facilities that have taken action to respond effectively to obstetric emergencies, reduce racial disparities, and improve maternal health outcomes.
Based on data from the current designation cycle, facilities designated under the Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care program demonstrate higher-quality care compared to non-Blue Distinction Center facilities, with overall average rates of 26% lower episiotomies, 60% fewer elective deliveries and 17% lower cesarean births. BDC+ designated facilities also exhibited an average savings of 21% for maternity care.
Each applicant facility was evaluated on a combination of objective data on patient outcomes as well as the practices implemented to reduce racial disparities and improve maternal health outcomes.
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On its 43rd anniversary, family-owned and operated Best of Care Inc. has acquired Northampton-based Barton’s Angels. Known since 1997 for home care services in the Connecticut River Valley, Barton’s Angels will now be part of Best of Care’s network, serving an expanded client base in the region.
Carol McIntire, a longtime leader on the Barton’s Angels team, steps into the role of Best of Care regional director for Western Massachusetts. Supported by Barton’s Angels Founder and President Nancy Barton Whitley and more than 60 caregivers, a nurse manager and an administrative team, Best of Care provides care to more than 120 clients while expanding access to the region’s home care, care management, and move management services from its 335 Bridge St., Northampton, offices.
Best of Care Inc. delivers in-home care to more than 1500 clients weekly in Greater Boston, South Shore, Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket and Western Massachusetts.
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We Do Travel Right in Longmeadow has earned the Gold Earmarked status by Disney Destinations.
The status is reserved for travel agencies that have demonstrated expertise and excellence in selling Disney destinations and products.
As a Gold Earmarked agency, We Do Travel Right gains access to exclusive training opportunities, which enables the agency to stay at the forefront of the latest developments within the Disney portfolio.
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Baystate Health has been recognized by the National Fund for Workforce Solutions as one of the 2023 winners of its CareerSTAT Frontline Healthcare Worker Champion awards. The program recognizes organizations that create good jobs and build equitable workplaces by making significant investments in frontline workers.
Baystate Health offers workers a number of opportunities to advance their careers, including a Workforce Pipeline. Workers receive training to fill some of the most in-demand health care jobs, such as pharmacy technician, cardiac monitor technician, medical assistant and patient care technician. All Workforce Pipeline programs come at no cost to the employee and some are pay-to-train apprenticeships.
CareerSTAT and the Frontline Healthcare Worker Champions program are made possible through generous support from MetLife Foundation and the World Education Services Mariam Assefa Fund.
Champions will be highlighted throughout the upcoming year, culminating in an awards ceremony honoring recognized organizations at the National Fund’s biennial convening, “SHIFT Toward and Equitable Future,” in Memphis, Tennessee, in September.
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Monson Savings Bank provides $28,000 in scholarships to local graduating seniors annually. The bank’s 2024 Scholarships are now available to graduating high school seniors in the Monson, Ware, Hampden-Wilbraham and East Longmeadow school districts.
To qualify, graduating seniors must be planning to attend an accredited college, technical school or certification program.
Scholarship awards will be based on a variety of factors, which may include the applicant’s financial need, academic performance, and extracurricular activities that they have participated in. A candidate should have demonstrated a commitment to their community.
If students are interested in applying for the Monson Savings Scholarship, they should contact their high school guidance department for an application. The deadline for application acceptance varies by school.
