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Heywood names UMass Memorial's Babu as next chief medical officer. May 29, 2026 Gardner-based Heywood Healthcare has named Dr. Kavita Babu, a UMass Memorial Health medical director and UMass Chan Medical School professor, as its new chief medical officer and vice president of medical affairs. "Dr. Babu's depth of experience, clinical expertise, and commitment to patient-centered care make her an outstanding addition to our leadership team," Heywood President and CEO Rozanna Penney said in announcing Babu's hire Thursday. Babu has worked for UMass Memorial and UMass Chan for more than a decade, most recently serving as medical director of community benefits and as an emergency physician. She is a professor of emergency medicine. Babu will replace outgoing Heywood CMO Dr. Frank Sweeney, who announced plans to return to retirement in January. Sweeney came out of retirement to serve as Heywood's CMO in January 2025, as the network worked to regain its footing following a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. Babu holds a bachelor's degree and doctor of medicine degree from Brown University in Rhode Island, as well as an MBA from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst. She has a reputation as a strong community advocate, having served as UMass Memorial's first chief opioid officer, co-director of UMass Memorial Medical Center's Medical Respite program, and founder of the UMass Memorial's Road to Care, a mobile clinic that provides free medical care to people with housing and food insecurity, and/or substance use disorder. Combatting and responding to opioid abuse and its fallout is a particular specialty of hers. Heywood operates hospitals in Gardner and Athol, as well as Heywood Medical Group, a nonprofit multi-specialty and primary care group. Monica Benevides is a correspondent for Worcester Business Journal. - Digital Partners -

Heywood Hospital Data Breach investigation. Migliaccio & Rathod LLP is investigating the possible Heywood Hospital Data Breach, impacting an undetermined number of individuals and their personal information. What happened? On December 27, 2025, dark web monitoring sites reported that Heywood Hospital had been named as a victim of a data breach. Little information is available yet about the nature of the breach or the information that may have been involved, but the affected information is believed to include the following sensitive data forms: * Names * Email Addresses * Phone Numbers * Home Addresses * Social Security Numbers All of the information possibly stolen is likely valuable and dangerous to affected victims. As is likely to be the case with the Heywood Hospital data breach, in previous cyberattacks, victims of data theft have noticed identity theft attempts ranging from fraudulent charges on bank accounts or credit cards, to unauthorized credit card applications, to medical services or government services ordered in their name, to their information being posted on the dark web, to a massive uptick in the number of spam text messages, calls and emails received. Are you concerned that you might be affected by the Heywood Hospital data breach? If you have concerns that you have been affected by this data breach, and/or have experienced suspicious activity recently, Migliaccio & Rathod LLP would like to hear from you. Please complete the contact form on this page, send Migliaccio & Rathod LLP an email at [email protected], or give Migliaccio & Rathod LLP a call at (202) 470-3520. The following will ask for your contact information so that Migliaccio & Rathod LLP may reach you to talk about potential claims. This information is for its records only and will not be shared. By continuing, you consent to the collection of this information for these limited purposes. Did you receive a notification that you were affected by the data breach? Would you like to join its newsletter to receive notifications about other investigations Migliaccio & Rathod LLP is looking into, as well as updates on ongoing cases? The lawyers at Migliaccio & Rathod LLP have years of experience in class action litigation against large corporations, including in cases involving data breaches such as this. More information about its current cases and investigations is available on its blog. Data Breach FAQ. I received a notice that my information may have been involved in a data breach. What should I do? Take the notification seriously and read it carefully. It should outline what specific information was affected (e.g., name, Social Security number, legal case data). Even if you believe your risk is minimal, it's best to take proactive steps to protect yourself. Some of these recommended steps can be found listed below. What immediate actions should I take? * Monitor your financial accounts - Regularly check your bank, credit card, and online accounts for unauthorized transactions. * Change your passwords - Update passwords for any accounts that may be connected to the breach. Avoid reusing old or similar passwords. Use a password manager if needed. * Set up two-factor authentication (2FA) - Enable 2FA on your email, banking, and other sensitive accounts to add an extra layer of protection. * Place a fraud alert or credit freeze - Contact one of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) to place a fraud alert or freeze your credit report. This makes it harder for someone to open new accounts in your name. What is credit monitoring, and how should I use it? Credit monitoring tracks your credit report for changes or suspicious activity. If the organization that was breached offers this service for free, it's highly recommended you enroll. These services can alert you quickly to potential fraud and prevent further damage in turn. How long do I need to stay vigilant? The effects of a data breach can surface months or even years later. Stay alert to signs of identity theft for at least 12 - 24 months. Keep an eye on your credit reports, mail, and any unfamiliar account activity. Who can I contact if I need help? Use the contact details provided in the breach notification. You can also report identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission at www.identitytheft.gov for recovery resources.