At least six staff members working on the same floor of a Boston-area hospital have developed brain tumours, according to officials from the facility. The hospital involved is Newton-Wellesley Hospital, part of the Mass General Brigham system, located in the Boston region.
The increase to six cases includes one recently reported tumour described as benign – a non-cancerous growth – matching the nature of five previously documented cases among nurses who had worked in the hospital’s fifth-floor maternity unit. The sixth individual with a tumour, revealed in a statement by the hospital’s president Ellen Moloney, was reported as a staff member rather than a nurse. Additional staff members with prior experience on this floor have reported other health complaints not related to brain tumours, hospital officials confirmed.
Ellen Moloney, in the statement that was initially reported by Boston.com, said: “Based on the results of this rigorous ongoing investigation, we can assure you that no environmental risks have been identified at our hospital.” The hospital has been working with both internal and government occupational safety offices as well as independent environmental experts. Testing activities have included examinations of water quality, radiation levels, air samples, and other relevant environmental factors, as outlined in a memoire dated 2 April from the hospital.
Despite these investigations and assurances, the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), which represents the nursing staff, has expressed reservations about the scope of the hospital’s inquiry. The union criticised the hospital’s engagement as limited, stating that “the hospital only spoke to a small number of nurses” and contested the comprehensiveness of the environmental testing conducted. It is undertaking its own investigation, which has involved collecting over 300 responses from nurses, other healthcare professionals, and former employees via surveys, emails, and phone calls, as reported to NBC10 Boston.
The MNA will spend several weeks analysing the information collected, verifying claims, and obtaining medical records from respondents willing to share them. Union representatives remarked that “The hospital cannot make this issue go away by attempting to provide a predetermined conclusion,” indicating a desire for a more thorough and transparent process.
Meanwhile, Moloney’s statement addressed the circulation of misinformation online and elsewhere, stressing the hospital’s commitment to employee safety. She said: “Health, wellbeing, and safety – along with that of our employees – remain our top priority. We want to make sure you have the facts.”
The situation has attracted national attention, including on social media platforms, due to the unusual cluster of brain tumour cases among hospital staff on the same floor. Investigations remain ongoing, with both the hospital leadership and the nursing union continuing their separate inquiries.
Source: Noah Wire Services