Nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) in Boston are voicing their opposition to the health system’s decision to move its burn unit to Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).
Earlier this week, Mass General announced its plan to unify the two burn units at the Mass General campus. The health system said this move will strengthen burn care by unifying clinical expertise while maintaining the high-acuity skills and readiness and supporting long-term sustainability of burn specialty with a unified call pool, predictable staffing and streamlined on-site coverage.
Why It Matters
There are 4,000 nurses at BWH that are represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA). In a statement Tuesday, the nurses said they “strongly oppose” the decision to consolidate the burn units.
“This is the wrong decision for our patients and our nurses,” Kelly Morgan, labor and delivery nurse and BWH MNA chair, said in a statement. “Brigham nurses bring extraordinary clinical skill, specialized training and decades of experience in burn care to this hospital. These skills belong here at the Brigham, not moved across the system. Our patient care community deserves direct access to burn expertise at BWH.”
The nurses expressed their concern that moving burn care away from BWH risks diminishing institutional knowledge at the hospital, noting that consolidation is being driven by system-level decisions rather than by patient need.
What To Know
A spokesperson for Mass General Brigham told Newsweek that burn care across the health system has long been defined by clinical excellence, innovation, compassion and saving and improving countless lives.
“As part of our continued commitment to this highly specialized field, we are launching the new, unified Mass General Brigham Burn Program at the Sumner M. Redstone Burn Center, ensuring the future of burn care remains strong and sustainable,” the spokesperson said. “By bringing our teams together, we will foster deeper collaboration, reduce duplication and advance the standard of treatment for patients and providers alike.”
Dr. Ali Salim, the division chief of Trauma & Acute Care Surgery at Mass General Brigham, said in a statement that the health system will ensure that critical care capacity remains strong as it transitions the burn care unit to MGH. He said reclassifying these beds for intensive care use would allow the health system to support growing needs of the system while establishing a unified, centralized model for burn care.
“The launch of the Mass General Brigham Burn Program represents a meaningful investment in the future of burn care,” he said. “Bringing two exceptional programs together under one roof allows our team to deliver an even stronger, more coordinated approach that ultimately benefits our patients and the clinicians who care for them.”
Mass General said this move will not reduce care or labor, as all nurses from the Burn, Trauma and Surgical Critical Care Unit and Intermediate Unit will continue in their roles and the unit will remain open to serve other trauma patients.
The MNA said, however, that its contract prevents the forced transfer of nurses. The union said many of the nurses at BWH will remain at the hospital due to the strong job protections, pension, health insurance and other benefits secured under their MNA union contract.
“Brigham burn unit nurses are not only experts, but they are also deeply committed to the Brigham,” Jim McCarthy, PACU nurse and BWH MNA vice chair, said in a statement. “Our contract guarantees they cannot be forced to transfer, and it ensures better retirement protections, better health insurance choice and stronger workplace protections than what is available at non-union hospitals like MGH. We expect most burn unit nurses will choose to stay because of the union difference at BWH.”
What Happens Next
The health system said the Massachusetts Department of Public Health will initiative a 120-day review period for any change in hospital services. Pending approval, Mass General said the unified burn center is expected to launch in 2026.
What People Are Saying
Lauren H. Tripodi, PA-C, a Burn Center physician assistant, said in a statement to Newsweek: “Every burn patient’s journey is unique, and having all our expertise in one place means we can deliver care that’s not only faster but more comprehensive. This program gives us the ability to coordinate treatments seamlessly and support patients through every stage of recovery.”
Kelly Morgan, labor and delivery nurse and BWH MNA Chair, said in a statement. “We will fight to ensure this highly specialized care remains available to the patients who rely on the Brigham. Our nurses’ expertise is irreplaceable, and we will not allow corporate decisions to override what is best for patients, staff, and our community.”
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