Healey announces $3 million in women’s health grants, promotes $3.5 billion Mass Leads Act at Brigham and Women’s

Brigham and Women’s Hospital hosted Governor Maura Healey and members of her administration on a visit that combined a tour of clinical facilities with announcements of new research funding and a push for a proposed economic development package.

Governor Maura Healey announced, “So today, I'm also pleased to announce that we have an additional $3,000,000 in new grant awards through the Women's Health Project.” She said the awards include five $50,000 "First Look" grants to early‑stage investigators, and named recipients from the event remarks.

The governor framed the grants as part of a broader push to address disparities in maternal and women’s health. “It's the start of Black Maternal Health Week, and I think it's particularly important that we be here in this moment to talk about our shared commitment to addressing real health disparities, particularly when it comes to maternal health,” she said.

Yvonne Howe, secretary of economic development, underlined the hospital system’s economic footprint: “82,000 employees,” and later recounted an economic‑impact figure given during the visit, saying the system has generated about "$54,000,000,000 in economic impact" in recent years. Howe tied that scale to the state’s bid leadership on federal innovation projects, including work that supported Massachusetts’ winning the ARPA‑H investor catalyst hub.

Howe also outlined the Mass Leads Act proposal numbers referenced at the event: the package is presented as a $3.5 billion plan with roughly $1 billion earmarked for life sciences and health‑care investments. At the podium she said the investment is meant to sustain competitiveness for the state’s life‑science ecosystem and expand support for innovations that affect clinical care and equity.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Kate Walsh echoed the administration’s focus on equity and maternal health, saying the state will continue cross‑sector work to "ensure new chapters of health innovation that leave no patients behind," and stressing that advances must reach communities with persistently worse outcomes.

Event host Anne (Mass General Brigham) opened with context about the hospital’s research mission and recent achievements, noting the system’s high OBGYN ranking and its role in spinning out biotech companies and innovations that the administration said underpin the state's health‑care economy.

The administration named institutional winners of the Mass Life Sciences Center Women’s Health Innovation Program, including Mass General Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University, Harvard University, Northeastern University, McLean Hospital, and Boston Children’s Hospital; several researchers were present to represent those awards.

State Senator Will Brownsberger, who also spoke at the event, thanked hospital staff and said legislators are listening to how state government can support the sector. The formal portion of the visit concluded with a photo opportunity with award recipients.

The announcements at Brigham and Women’s Hospital were largely ceremonial: the Mass Leads Act figures described at the event reflect the administration’s proposal and will require legislative action for authorization and appropriation. The governor and her cabinet said awards and programmatic work will proceed under existing grant and Life Sciences Center processes while the broader legislative proposal advances.

Next steps: the administration said it will work with the Legislature on Mass Leads Act details and that the named grant awards will proceed through the Mass Life Sciences Center’s award processes.