Boston Medical Center experts discuss some of the ethical care challenges they faced at annual Alan and Sybil Edelstein Professionalism and Ethics in Medicine Lecture
A year into COVID, hospitals find a new normal
By Priyanka Dayal McCluskey Globe Staff,Updated April 20, 2021, 8:04 a.m.
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Hospital staff worked on 2-North, the COVID-19 floor at the West Roxbury VA Medical Center in January.Erin Clark/Globe Staff
After battling COVID for more than a year and weathering two surges of sick patients, Massachusetts hospitals are settling in to a new normal.
Theyâve shifted from managing a raging crisis to incorporating COVID into their daily work. For the foreseeable future, hospitals expect to continue treating COVID patients â though the number could rise as variants spread or fall
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It’s officially happening: the first wave of coronavirus vaccinations was administered at Boston Medical Center Wednesday morning.
On Monday, the University’s teaching hospital received 1,950 doses of the just-approved Pfizer-BIoNTech coronavirus vaccine, one of 145 facilities nationwide to get it. The first vaccines are being given to BMC doctors and nurses who have close contact with COVID-19 patients, as well as to environmental and support services staffers. In three weeks, each will receive a second dose of the vaccine, which will be sent in a separate shipment.
The arrival of the vaccine was met with relief by BMC staffers, who have been fighting to keep patients alive for months. “We all hope this will be the turning point in this pandemic, as we go from defense to offense against this virus,” says Ravin Davidoff, BMC chief medical officer.
Hospitals are canceling elective surgeries to respond to COVID. Hereâs what you need to know
By Priyanka Dayal McCluskey Globe Staff,Updated December 11, 2020, 3:27 p.m.
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Canceling even a small number of elective procedures can make a big difference in terms of hospital capacity said Dr. Ravin Davidoff, chief medical officer at Boston Medical Center.Erin Clark/Globe Staff
As the COVID-19 crisis escalates again in Massachusetts, the stateâs hospitals are working to add capacity so they can treat growing numbers of patients. Beginning Friday, under an order from the Baker administration, hospitals are canceling or postponing certain elective procedures so they have more space to dedicate to COVID patients.