Dear David,

Two fewer communities in Massachusetts have acute care hospitals since our last newsletter was sent, and that is sobering. It is a major loss for those communities, the people who depended on those hospitals, the providers and staff who worked there, and the small businesses that supplied and served them.

As bad as this is, it could have been much worse. Fortunately, six hospitals were saved when two hospitals and one health system stepped forward with the goals of preserving access to health care and strengthening these depleted institutions.

We were fortunate to be part of the team for Lawrence General Hospital, which saved two Holy Family Hospital campuses. The work energized us, as we did everything we could to support our client’s efforts to make a new regional health system a reality. The experience was a vivid representation of one of our core principles: Our clients’ successes are our successes.

There is another major lesson: There are no guarantees that your community hospital, if you still have one, will be there forever. It is important to support it in any way that you can.

Steward Health Care’s financial decline and bankruptcy jeopardized the future of hospitals across Eastern and Central Massachusetts. In the Merrimack Valley cities of Methuen and Haverhill, leaders sounded the alarm about the potential loss of their community hospital.

Lawrence General Hospital, a nonprofit safety net hospital that, like many Massachusetts hospitals, has faced its own financial challenges, stepped forward by making a bid to acquire both Holy Family Hospital campuses. The hospital’s bid was accepted, and with major partnership and support from the Commonwealth, on October 1, Holy Family Hospital became part of a new regional health care system led by Lawrence General Hospital.

The result of this Herculean effort was the preservation of access to care for tens of thousands of Merrimack Valley residents and the retention of thousands of local jobs. It literally is lifesaving for those who may find themselves with only minutes to live. And just as important, hospitals give a community vitality and connection; they are a focal point.

“We are proud to welcome Holy Family Hospital, its patients, and employees to our new regional health care system,” said Dr. Abha Agrawal, President and CEO of Lawrence General Hospital. “Stronger than the sum of our parts, we will bring high quality, equitable care to our communities with this integration.”

You can read more about the saving of Holy Family Hospital here, here, and here on WCVB-TV Channel 5.

Life sciences startup Unravel Biosciences, an AI-enabled therapeutics company developing therapies for rare pediatric diseases like Rett syndrome, marked the opening of its new administrative headquarters and lab facility in Medford. Company officials were joined by patient families, state and local officials, and members of the biotech industry for the ribbon-cutting. The Boston Business Journal wrote about the new company’s growth.

Patient access to GLP-1 drugs, which are used to treat diabetes and obesity, has been limited given the enormous popularity of these medications. This is why it was confounding that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration made a sudden announcement about removing one of these drugs – Tirzepatide – from its drug shortage list. As it made its announcement, FDA acknowledged that there would continue to be supply disruptions.

The Outsourcing Facilities Association filed suit against the agency seeking to vacate its action, noting that patients and physicians would be harmed by it, as would drug outsourcing facilities that made large investments to produce essential copies of these drugs given the shortage. In particular, patients would face higher costs. You can read the announcement of the lawsuit here. The FDA has since agreed to revisit its decision in light of the litigation.

HopeHealth, a nonprofit hospice and palliative care organization, recently contributed to the national conversation on hospice through an op-ed published on BostonGlobe.com. The piece by President & CEO Diana Franchitto celebrates former President Jimmy Carter’s 100th birthday and reflects on his decision to enter hospice care and the profound impact it has had on raising awareness of hospice services. “Too often, people delay starting hospice because they don’t fully understand it, or they fear what it represents,” wrote Franchitto. “President Carter has shown the world that hospice care is about having the highest quality of life.”

JRI, a leader in social justice, with over 100 diverse programs meeting the needs of underserved individuals, families and communities, offers a Gardening Resources of Wellness or “Grow” program, dedicated to exploring the benefits of horticultural therapy and nature-based approaches. The program was featured on WCVB-TV Channel 5 Boston’s Chronicle, highlighting Grow’s mission to help clients reconnect with themselves by harnessing humans’ innate connection with nature at JRI’s historic greenhouses.

Pelmeds, a pharmacy that specializes in managing and delivering medications for patients in residential programs, assisted living residences, and other congregate care providers, recently acquired Apothecare, a closed-door pharmacy in Brockton that serves a similar clientele. The Brockton location will serve as the company’s third pharmacy and distribution center. The Worcester Business Journal covered the acquisition.

Nonprofit Ellis Early Learning CEO Lauren Cook and Ellis board member and Executive Director of Strategies for Children Amy O’Leary were interviewed by Margery Eagan and Andrea Cabral on GBH News’ Boston Public Radio about the early education funding included in the state budget – and what still needs to be done in the sector for all children to thrive.

The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts announced its 2024 Activation Fund grants, awarding nearly $900,000 to a wide range of local organizations serving the region, as reported by the Worcester Business Journal and MassNonprofit News.

Also, Foundation CEO Dr. Amie Shei published an opinion piece in CommonWealth Beacon about the distressing demise of the Nashoba Valley Medical Center, a casualty of the Steward Health Care bankruptcy crisis (see above). “The shutdown of Nashoba Valley is part of a troubling trend of hospital closures in rural communities across the country,” she wrote. “Each time a hospital closes, the health and economic effects ripple across its community for years.”

The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation announced a new grant program aimed at enhancing pregnancy and postpartum health care for communities of color. The announcement was reported by the Berkshire Eagle, Worcester Business Journal, MassNonprofit News and Grantmakers in Health.

The nonprofit Housing Assistance had a busy summer on Cape Cod, welcoming the state housing secretary to its Mashpee affordable housing development (Falmouth Enterprise), pushing forward with its family shelter plan in Dennis (Boston Globe), and hosting the lieutenant governor at a planned housing development in Orleans (Cape Cod Times).

Bridgewell, a nonprofit human services provider serving northeastern Massachusetts, was highlighted in a pair of front-page news stories: The Daily Item featured three resilient clients in different stages of their recovery journey for National Recovery Month, while The Salem News reported on a resident of a program for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who defied the odds and received a lifesaving kidney transplant with the amazing efforts of Bridgewell staff.

Venture Community Services, one of the Commonwealth’s leading providers of innovative human services, announced a merger with fellow provider Life Skills, Inc., as seen in The Worcester Business Journal and Mass Nonprofit News. Venture also announced its newly appointed board members, as seen in State House News Service’s Personnel File, Monadnock Ledger-Transcript, The Sturbridge Villager, Blackstone Valley Tribune, Spencer New Leader, Webster Times and Auburn News.

The Autism Alliance, a program of human services provider Advocates, has a new spot at the Natick Mall. The MetroWest Daily News, Natick Report and Worcester Business Journal covered plans for an Autism Welcoming center where businesses can be trained and certified to better serve individuals living with autism and their families. The retail space donated by the mall will also offer resources and activities to families served by the Autism Alliance.

RIZE Massachusetts rolled out the first grants through its Mosaic Opioid Recovery Partnership with the state Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services. The $3.75 million in grants from recent opioid settlement funds will support 18 grassroots organizations in areas that have been historically underserved yet hard hit by the overdose epidemic.

Welcoming Our New Account Executive

Izzy Nickel has joined Ball Consulting Group as an Account Executive, handling media outreach and social media activities, and supporting strategic communications initiatives across client accounts.

Nickel has experience at several public relations firms and previously served as the assistant director at a Boston-based nonprofit organization.

She earned a bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University and a master’s degree in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.

Creative & Advertising Team

Rick Cohn

Nick de Sherbinin

Ball Consulting Group has welcomed creative giants and advertising industry veterans Rick Cohn and Nick de Sherbinin to our firm.

"Rick and Nick" will be developing and implementing branding, marketing, advertising and digital strategies for clients.

They recently created a pair of TV spots to educate the public about the housing crisis on Cape Cod, for our client Housing Assistance.

Learn more about their backgrounds here.

Crisis Planning with Worcester Chamber

David Ball shared his expertise and insights on crisis management during a Nonprofit Roundtable event hosted by the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce in June.

During the presentation, titled “When Your Organization is Tested by a Crisis,” Ball covered everything from how crises are commonly mishandled to the importance of creating a crisis team and planning for situations that could harm an organization.

Lighting the "Lamps" and Ringing the "Bell"

Ball Consulting Group received another Lamplighter Award from NESHCo, the New England Society for Healthcare Communications. The award recognized the team’s work on behalf of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, highlighting a report on the economic toll of health inequities in Massachusetts.

The firm also took home a Bell Ringer merit award in a regional media placement category at the PR Club’s annual event. The judges recognized news coverage of the Friendship Project created by the human services agency Advocates to fight the “epidemic of loneliness.”

HELP FOR HOUSING

Ball Consulting Group has represented housing clients and worked on housing policy issues throughout its 20-year history. The firm recently launched HousingLab to better coordinate the efforts of disparate but allied organizations into a singular voice that can enable the development of new housing, overcome the paralysis of NIMBYism, and counter rampant stealth disinformation campaigns that kill worthy projects all too often.

Building on our experience in housing development and policy, HousingLab is designed to advance the work of nonprofit and for-profit developers, the design profession, the building trades and academic programs focused on housing creation and housing policy.