The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) has asked Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell’s office to examine a fundraising campaign Anna Jaques Hospital ran during the Covid-19 pandemic called “Healthcare Heroes Fund” that raised more than $200,000.
Anna Jaques is an 83-bed non-profit community hospital in Newburyport that serves the North Shore, Merrimack Valley, and southern New Hampshire. It has 1,200 employees and more than 200 physicians on staff, according to the hospital’s website.
A hospital spokesperson told 25 Investigates, “All funds and resources were distributed appropriately to support our dedicated team in providing exceptional care to the community as we navigated the unique needs of an unprecedented global health crisis.”
According to an expired donation link, Anna Jaques created the “Healthcare Heroes Fund” in the spring of 2021 to, “support our nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists, and staff who are fighting the pandemic on the front lines.” An April 2020 Facebook post advertising the fund said it, “directly supports our crisis response efforts and ensures that our front-line caregivers have the critical resources needed to face this pandemic head-on.” Anna Jaques is affiliated with Beth Israel Lahey Health System. Fund marketing said that all donations would remain in Newburyport.