Five staff members at the maternity unit of Mass General Brigham’s Newton-Wellesley Hospital have brain tumors while six others were found to have other health concerns.
An investigation is underway at a Massachusetts hospital after multiple nurses on the same floor were diagnosed with brain tumors.
Mass General Brigham's Newton-Wellesley Hospital says five staff members were found to have brain tumors — all of whom work in the fifth-floor maternity unit. All of the tumors were benign, officials said.
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The hospital says 11 staff members have been interviewed since April 1. In addition to the five diagnosed with brain tumors, six others were found to have other health concerns.
"After we became aware of reported brain tumors in individuals who currently or previously had worked in the same area of the hospital, we conducted an extensive investigation in collaboration with the Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Newton-Wellesley Safety Officer, radiation and pharmaceutical safety offices, and external environmental consultants," officials with Newton-Wellesley Hospital said in a statement.
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"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. To evaluate for any possible environmental exposures in that area of the hospital, comprehensive environmental assessments following CDC guidelines began in December," the hospital wrote. "The investigation found no environmental risks which could be linked to the development of a brain tumor."
But the Massachusetts Nurses Association tells NBC10 Boston the hospital's environmental testing was not comprehensive.
The union says it has received more than 300 responses from people who work at Newton-Wellesley and is now working to contact those who want a direct follow-up and obtain medical records.
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The MNA also says the hospital cannot make this issue go away by attempting to provide a pre-determined conclusion.
The hospital reiterates that their top priority is the wellbeing of their staff and patients and will be having another town hall within the next week.
NBC10 Boston reached out to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which said it was not aware of the situation and had no comment.
Newton-Wellesley Hospital shared an FAQ from nurses:
Read the full statement from Newton Wellesley Hospital:
After we became aware of reported brain tumors in individuals who currently or previously had worked in the same area of the hospital, we conducted an extensive investigation in collaboration with the Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Newton-Wellesley Safety Officer, radiation and pharmaceutical safety offices, and external 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. 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. We presented these findings to relevant stakeholder groups, including the staff on the unit and the Massachusetts Nursing Association, and have held forums to meet with clinical and Occupational Health leaders to answer their questions. The hospital is providing the MNA with the test results from the investigation, including those of several external environmental firms.
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.
Jonathan Sonis, MD, MHCM
Associate Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Medical Affairs
Sandy Muse, DNP, FNP-BC, NEA-BC
Chief Nursing Officer and Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services
Read the full statement from the Massachusetts Nurses Association:
The MNA’s division of health and safety, consisting of occupational health nurses, is investigating this issue. We do not have a specific number 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. We brought this to the hospital in December to urge an investigation by MGB. We have been in communication with NWH nurses about this regularly and specifically with nurses who are self-reporting. This is focused on the maternity unit, though we have reports from other areas as well. Below is more info.
• We have received more than 300 survey responses, emails, and telephone calls.
• The responses are from current NWH nurses, other professional disciplines at NWH, and from former employees.
• Everyone who self-identified as wanting a follow-up response from the MNA has been contacted (if contact information was provided).
• It will take several weeks to sort through the information received, vet it, and obtain follow-up, including medical records, if respondents are willing to provide them.
We are engaging with the hospital about their inquiry. 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.
