Board presses hospital on clinic staffing and Upton clinic hours after reports of closures and inconsistent coverage

Board members expressed concern about clinic staffing and inconsistent posted hours at the Upton clinic and other outpatient sites, saying community members reported closures during posted hours.

Management response: Hospital operations staff acknowledged the closures and said holidays and employee leave contributed to reduced clinic days; staff also reported active hiring and training efforts (including CNA training) and said they expect additional hires to improve coverage. Board and managers agreed clinic operations and scheduling should be clarified and that a clinic manager should present regular operational metrics to the board once in place.

Why it matters: Clinic hours and local access to basic services were described as important to residents in Upton and surrounding towns. Board members said the hospital needs clearer public schedules and better local outreach so residents are not left uncertain about whether clinics will be open.

Other operational items raised: Separately, managers reported improvements in ED arrival-to-discharge metrics and discussed patient wristband compliance in the emergency department; staff proposed purchasing a second wristband printer to speed wristbanding as a patient-safety and billing improvement. Board members supported pursuing foundation funding for nonessential technology that assists operations.

Next steps: Management will provide a plan to post reliable clinic hours at all outpatient locations, accelerate recruitment for clinical staff, and ask the clinic manager to join future board or committee meetings for operational briefings.