A Message from the Chair of the Board and Executive Director
Dear Friends of the Research Bureau, There is no question that the past year marked unprecedented challenges due to the global pandemic and its impact on our local community. Without hesitation, Worcester and its regional leaders pulled together and did whatever it took to keep our community strong. The Bureau thanks, salutes, and illuminates the real heroism and enormous resiliency exhibited by all in Greater Worcester.
While this heroism has been widespread and defies characterization, our medical and public health care workers deserve special mention. Given the importance of Worcester’s health care institutions, such as UMass Memorial Healthcare, St. Vincent Hospital, Reliant Medical Group, the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center and Family Health Center, our medical practitioners have been on the front lines from the very beginning. While not as high profile, our essential workers at grocery stores, pharmacies, and other retail establishments also played critical roles in providing food, medicines, and other necessary supplies. Our municipal workers, such as teachers and public works staffers, provided crucial services to the public. Municipal leaders – particularly Mayor Petty, City Manager Augustus, Superintendent Binienda, and the city’s Commissioner of Health and Human Services Dr. Matilde Castiel and Medical Director Dr. Michael Hirsch – have led by making difficult and controversial decisions objectively and transparently.
