Massachusetts
580,000 in Massachusetts live in ‘pharmacy deserts,’ new report shows – The Boston Globe

Pharmacy shortages can be detrimental to both customers and the broader health system. Pharmacy closures are associated with older adults skipping heart medications and increased use of hospital and emergency department services.
“Without access to this source of care, residents may turn to higher-cost care settings like emergency departments, which further burdens our health care workforce, drives up spending, and leads to worse health outcomes,” David Seltz, executive director of the Health Policy Commission, said in a statement. “It is imperative for the Commonwealth to increase and sustain pharmacy access.”
The loss of nearby pharmacies affects access not only to drugs, but also to primary care. In Massachusetts, where the shortage of primary care providers has become acute, pharmacists can step in to provide some services, including administering vaccines.
Under contracts with prescribers called Collaborative Practice Agreements, pharmacists can answer patients’ questions, order labs, and even adjust medication doses, said Dr. Kaley Hayes, associate director of pharmacoepidemiology at Brown University’s Center for Gerontology and Healthcare Research.
“We are living in a very strained system that is getting more strained by the day, and we are running out of levers to pull to make sure that people still have access to care,” Hayes said. “Pharmacy deserts compound that issue by removing one more health care professional.”
Since 2019, the number of pharmacies in Massachusetts has shrunk by nearly 200, or about 17 percent. Small chain and independent drug stores and pharmacies operating in grocery stores saw the highest proportions of losses.
Some of the hit to independent pharmacies can be blamed on the consolidation of retail pharmacy chains and pharmacy benefit managers, the middlemen that negotiate drug costs between insurers and pharmacies, the Health Policy Commission said.
The report pointed to mergers, such as the 2007 combination of CVS and pharmacy benefit manager Caremark, as disadvantaging smaller pharmacies, since Caremark could give CVS preferred prices and steer customers to the large chain.
CVS and Walgreens are also cutting back, as they come under pressure from pharmacy benefit managers to control drug costs and retail profits decline. The number of Massachusetts stores owned by large chains fell to 578 from 630 to over the past year, according to the report.
The Health Policy Commission considered several factors in defining pharmacy deserts. Rural areas were considered a desert if they did not have a pharmacy within five miles. Urban areas were considered a desert if they lacked a pharmacy within one mile. Those distances were halved for areas with below-average vehicle ownership or more than 20 percent of households sitting below the federal poverty level.
Overall, the Health Policy Commission found that pharmacy deserts tended to be in neighborhoods with lower population density and a slightly higher proportion of residents over the age of 65.
New pharmacy deserts are appearing in Massachusetts’ largest cities. Springfield, for example, added six new deserts, while New Bedford added five.
Worcester was able to rid of two pharmacy deserts, but six others appeared after drug stores closed. Boston removed two pharmacy deserts, but five others popped up.
The report is the first by the Health Policy Commission to specifically evaluate pharmacy deserts. The next phase of the research will focus on understanding the factors that contribute to pharmacy closures, said Yue Huang, associate director for the Office of Pharmaceutical Policy and Analysis at the commission.
Huang said that different types of pharmacies face different kinds financial pressures and incentives, which her team is considering as they evaluate ways to combat the creation of deserts.
“It’s important that when we’re thinking about potential policy recommendations, we avoid painting with broad strokes,” Huang said.
Marin Wolf can be reached at marin.wolf@globe.com.

Massachusetts
Family rescued from remote Massachusetts island after their boat caught fire

A family was rescued after being stranded on a remote Massachusetts island for a little over a day after their boat caught fire.
A mother, father and son set sail from Eel Pond in Falmouth on Friday, the Coast Guard said in a Wednesday statement. They planned to take their 30-foot boat between Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard and anchor there for the weekend.
Local outlets identified the mom as Cynthia, or Cici, Sullivan, the dad as Patrick Sullivan and their son as Tyler Sullivan. The Coast Guard has not identified the family or said where they are from.
When the family did not return Tuesday evening, a concerned relative alerted the authorities. The Coast Guard, Falmouth authorities and volunteers searched for the boat Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.
The Coast Guard said the family had woken up to their boat on fire Monday night, prompting them to abandon ship. The family managed to swim to nearby Naushon Island, the largest of the Elizabeth Islands, and find shelter in a barn.

During the search for the family’s boat, authorities attempted to contact the boat’s crew, but the calls went straight to voicemail, and cell phone pings didn’t provide an accurate location.
The Coast Guard said when the son was walking along the remote beach, he found the boat’s marine radio, which had washed ashore.
On Wednesday morning, the Coast Guard received a mayday call on the radio. After finding the family, Nashuon Trust volunteers provided them with first aid. They were subsequently transferred via a Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk to Cape Cod Hospital.
Cici remains in the ICU in critical but stable condition, and Patrick was taken to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston for burn treatment, according to a statement from the Sullivan family shared by CBS Boston. Tyler, who is in stable condition, suffered third-degree burns on his arm and smoke inhalation, according to the local outlet.

“The family would like to express our deepest gratitude to the U.S. Coast Guard and all emergency personnel who participated in the search and rescue efforts,” the Sullivan family said.
The Coast Guard commended the family’s “quick thinking” that led to their survival.
“Quick thinking and having quality equipment allowed the family to survive and call for help,” Scott Backholm, a search and rescue mission coordinator from Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England, said in a statement. “Mariners are encouraged to pursue first aid training and ensure their vessels are outfitted with proper safety equipment.”
The Independent has reached out to the Coast Guard for additional comment.
Massachusetts
Obituary for Mark J. Carron at Daniel T. Morrill Funeral Home

Massachusetts
Here are 10 haunted places in Massachusetts to visit this spooky season

A ghost in a haunted Gardner mansion appears to be having a ball
A ball left on the staircase inside the S.K. Pierce Haunted Victorian Mansion appears to move on its own in this video.
Provided by John Godino
Ready to celebrate Halloween next week?
While preparations for the holiday typically include buying candy and watching spooky movies, if you’re a true horror fan, you’re probably looking for ways to celebrate the more scary aspect of the holiday. Luckily, Massachusetts has plenty of haunted places you can visit this spooky season, including restaurants, hotels, cemeteries and even ships.
Here are 10 must-visit haunted places in Massachusetts to check out this fall.
Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast
For those who love true crime, this Fall River bed and breakfast allows you to eat or stay at the scene of a historic murder. The Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast is the former house of Lizzie Borden, the primary yet exonerated suspect in the unsolved axe murders of her father Andrew Borden and stepmother Abby Gray in 1892.
Guests can stay in the rooms where the murders happened and eat breakfast in the very room where the first autopsies were performed. Many report a chilling dining experience, with guests often seeing apparitions of Lizzie or her deceased parents.
Room rates at the Lizzie Borden House typically range from $200-400, with breakfast for an additional $20 per person. To secure the room option you want, it is recommended to book as far in advance as possible. The hardest months to get a booking are August and October.
If you don’t want to sleep with ghosts but still want to visit, the Lizzie Borden House also offers daily tours from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at $30 a ticket, nightly ghost tours from 7 to 9 p.m. at $25 a ticket and nightly ghost hunts from 10 p.m. to midnight at $40 a ticket.
Location: 230 Second St., Fall River
Omni Parker House
Founded in 1855, the Omni Parker House is one of the oldest continuously operating hotels in the country, housing names like Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawhorne, Ulysses S. Grant, John F. Kennedy, Judy Garland, James Dean and more.
However, the most popular name at the Omni is Harvey Parker, who is believed to haunt the hotel he once founded. Guests have reported seeing an apparition of a older man with a mustache wearing clothes from the 1800s floating through the hallways or standing inside guest rooms, according to the Omni Hotels’ “Unpacked” blog.
Other ghostly encounters include noise complaints for empty rooms, a lingering smell of whiskey and the elevator traveling to the third floor – the floor where Charles Dickens once stayed – by itself.
If you want to see Parker with your own eyes, make a reservation to stay at Omni Parker House online.
Location: 60 School St., Boston
S. K. Pierce Mansion
Back in the 1800s, this historic mansion was built for thriving local businessman Sylvester Pierce. Pierce’s wife died just weeks after moving in, and the building eventually became a boarding house known as The Victorian, which filled the property with drinking, gambling and prostitution.
The mansion has been certified as haunted by six mediums and paranormal experts, according to The Gardner News. During an episode of “Ghost Hunters” filmed at the property, it was determined that Pierce Mansion is inhabited by a trio of ghosts – a 19-year-old girl, a five-year-old boy and a resident who died in a fire.
Today, the mansion offeres guided tours on weeknights and weekend afternoons for $40 per person. For the brave of heart, Pierce Mansion also offers ghost tours and overnight stays. Tickets and scheduling can be found online.
Location: 4 W Broadway, Gardner
Turner’s Seafood
Of course, many of the state’s haunted restaurants are in Salem. One of these is Turner’s Seafood located in the historic Lyceum Hall, home to famous visitors like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Frederick Douglass, Henry David Thoreau, John Quincy Adams and Alexander Graham Bell, who gave the first demonstration of the telephone in Lyceum.
However, the history of this restaurant reaches back even further. Before the grounds were Lyceum Hall, they were the site of an apple orchard belonging to Bridget Bishop, the first woman killed in the Salem Witch Trials.
Visitors report seeing a figure believed to be Bishop in windows, mirrors and staircases while wearing a long, white gown. Whenever guests in the dining room get a strong whiff of apple, it is believed that Bishop is lingering nearby.
See if you can sniff Bishop out in the main dining room from noon to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday or noon to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Guests can request a table online, but walk-ins are welcome.
Location: 43 Church St., Salem
Spider Gates Cemetery
Spider Gates Cemetery, also known as Friends or Quaker Cemetery, lies deep in the woods of Kettle Brook Resrvoir out near Worcester. Legend says that the former entrance to the 18th century cemetery is the eighth gate to Hell, according to ghost tour company Boston Ghosts.
A 2024 report from the Worcester Telegram shares the stories of various hauntings on the cemetery grounds: a Hanging Tree haunted by someone who took their own life among its branches; a second cemetery across the street that disappears after you see it once; the river Styx running underneath a cave where a young woman was murdered; and the voice of Marmaduke Earle, who speaks to those that rest their head on his gravestne at midnight.
Location: 15 Earle St., Leicester
Wayside Inn
The oldest hotel in the entire country, The Wayside Inn dates all the way back to 1661, when John How, one of the first settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, was granted a license for a house of public entertainment, or “pub,” in Marlborough, which began a multi-generation tradition of family innkeepers.
The first two-room dwelling was built in 1703, acting as the How family house until 1716, when four Sudbury selectmen granted Samuel’s son David How permission to keep a house of entertainment for travelers.
Today, the inn is believed to be haunted by former resident Jerusha Howe, who ran the inn with her brother Lyman until her death in 1842. According to Boston Ghosts, Howe died from a broken heart after the man she was supposed to marry never returned from England, and now she haunts the hotel looking for male companionship. Male guests of rooms nine and ten – Howe’s former living quarters – have reported feeling her presence or finding her at the foot of their bed in the night.
Double-occupancy rates at The Wayside range from $220-240 per night, and reservations can be booked by calling the front desk at 978-443-1776.
Location: 72 Wayside Inn Road, Sudbury
Hoosac Tunnel
Looking for a ghostly encounter without staying the night? Take a drive by the Hoosac Tunnel in the Berkshires. Running along the Deerfield River, this tunnel is believed to be haunted by the 200 deaths that happened during its 24-year construction, earning the tunnel the nickname of “the bloody pit.”
While only freight trains can drive through the tunnel, past travelers have repoted hearing voices and seeing orbs from outside, says US Ghost Adventures.
Location: Eastern portal at 239 River Road, Drury
Warren Tavern
Established in 1780, Warren Tavern is the oldest tavern in Massachusetts and one of the first buildings to be erected after Charlestown was ransacked and burned by the British in 1775. Many founding fathers visited the tavern, including Paul Revere and George Washington, whose funeral speech was given there.
The tavern is named after Dr. Joseph Warren, a major general in the Revolutionary War who sent Paul Revere on his messenger ride and lost his life in the Battle of Bunker Hill. Bar guests have reported seeing a man in a colonial wig and tights and hearing the click of Colonial-era heeled boots, leading many to believe that Dr. Warren’s spirit still resides at his namesake tavern. Another female entity, possibly a relative, has been seen hanging around the front room in Victorian clothing.
Warren Tavern is open for dining from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily. Reservations are not required, but can be made by calling 617-241-8142.
Location: 2 Pleasant St., Charlestown
The Mount
The Mount, the former home of author Edith Wharton, is believed to be haunted by various spirits, according to haunted research company Haunted US. Paranormal activity may date al the way back to when Wharton was alive, as the frightened author frequently claimed she was followed by “formless horrors.”
In 1942, when the estate became the Foxhollow School for Girls, students began to complain about hearing strange noises and phantom footsteps. Visitors have also reported apparitions, both of a young house servant wandering the halls and of Wharton herself reading books.
The Mount offers ghost tours about these stories and more on select dates from July through October. Tickets, which can be bought online, cost $30 per adult or $25 per child. The estate also offers ghost tours for children and regular house tours.
Location: 2 Plunkett St., Lenox
USS Salem
Quincy is home to one of the most haunted ships in the nation, the USS Salem. Once the most powerful vessel in the United States Navy, the USS Salem treated over a thousand civilians after a powerful earthquake in Greece during August of 1953. Many of the patients suffered mortal injuries, and it is believed that they still roam the passageways of the ship alongside her many former sailors.
On select Friday and Saturday nights from 7 p.m. to midnight, The Greater Boston Paranormal Associates offer guided paranormal investigations aboard the ship for $50 per person, which includes state-of-the-art equipment. The ship is also open for general admission self-guided tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday through Nov. 23.
Location: 549 South St. Pier 3, Quincy
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