November 17, 2025, 3:10 pm- An inside source reports UMASS Memorial Medical Center (UMMMC) on-site staffing demands for Paramedics and EMT’s are putting 9-1-1 callers at risk of slower or less skilled life saving measures. The International Association of EMTs and Paramedics released a statement today raising critical concerns about UMMMC patient care and treatment of Worcester Emergency Medical Services (WEMS) staff. Is a strike imminent?
The source, who asked to remain anonymous, reported the hospital has prioritized staffing its new critical care North Pavilion over emergency services contractually provided to the city of Worcester by UMass EMS, taking one skilled Advanced Life Support ambulance off the road entirely and straining remaining EMS. 9-1-1 calls are therefore being shifted to other area companies with lower level of care (Basic Life Support) ambulances, less capable of critical life saving measures. This leaves Worcester residents in need of immediate life-saving measures at risk of slower response time by advanced life-saving professionals or less-skilled 9-1-1 respondents. Lives are quite literally on the line.
Today the International Association of EMTs and Paramedics IAEP National Director officially Phil Petit sounded the alarm on behalf of Local 95 and stated if their concerns are not addressed by management, they will cease work in the North Pavilion in the “interest of health and safety of involved”:
The individual reported that UMMMC has been putting EMTs and Paramedics, who are skilled in intubation, in the North Pavilion, “saving the hospital thousands of dollars because it means they don’t have to put anyone from the anesthesia department in that building”. Further, according to this source, “The city of Worcester has had days and nights where there were only 1 or 2 ambulances staffed.” These concerns are validated by the IAEP release and the Local 95 Facebook page, which reports, in response to questions about the IAEP statement:
Local 95 has made every effort to explain to the hospital that we cannot afford to lose any street level ambulances let alone ALS level ambulances. We are in the final year of our CBA with the hospital. We are asking for a bandaid to get us to negotiations. Our members are overworked. They are doing as many ambulance calls as they possibly can. We are a system that is severely understaff and underfunded. What we are asking for is below.
1. Create positions that make the Pavilion medics voluntary and make it a separate unit from the street, much like our ED medics or MIH medics.
2. Fill the current open positions and increase our staffing levels.Â
3. A 3% stipend for shifts working at the Pavilion, like MIH, to incentivize the Pavilion role.
The source reported when Local 95 approached the hospital board with concerns about priotitization of the North Pavilion last month, the board “literally laughed in EMS faces when asked for more staffing etc.” The source and other medical providers have been urged to beseech the president of UMMMC Justin Precourt to negotiate an agreement with EMS providers immediately to ensure safety of all patients and EMS professionals. The IAEP National Director appears to believe an agreement can be reached, perhaps to the one of the terms outlined by Local 95 above.
What’s Up Worcester will continue to montior the sitaution. Tips and updates can be sent to us by email or DM.
Betsey Taft Kennedy, Managing Editor, What’s Up Worcester, betsey@whatsupworcester.com
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