Health briefs: Baystate opens temporary youth behavioral health unit
Workers construct a rapid response triage outside the Emergency Department at Baystate Health in Springfield, Monday, Mar. 16, 2020. GAzette file photo
Published: 5/3/2021 4:31:05 PM
Baystate Health opens temporary youth behavioral health unit
SPRINGFIELD Baystate Health opened a temporary 12-bed child/adolescent psychiatric unit on its Baystate Medical Center campus last week, as part of an effort to address the critical shortage of behavioral health services for children in the region.
“This new unit serves as a bridge allowing us to provide inpatient psychiatric care for children and adolescents over the next two years until our new Baystate-Kindred Healthcare joint venture behavioral health hospital opens with a permanent pediatric/adolescent unit,” said Dr. Barry Sarvet, chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Baystate Health.
Baystate Health relaxes visitor restrictions as COVID-19 cases decline
Updated 1:46 PM;
Today 10:28 AM
Baystate Health is updating its policy guidelines beginning today, May 3, to open visitation in the inpatient units and Emergency Departments at all Baystate hospitals. (Republican photo by Anne-Gerard Flynn)
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SPRINGFIELD Baystate Health is joining other area hospitals in easing COVID-19 visitor restrictions as transmission rates and cases decline in the counties where the hospitals are located.
Baystate Health opened visitation for inpatient units and Emergency Departments at all its hospitals beginning today, May 3, and visiting hours have been extended from noon to 8 p.m.
Cooley Dickinson in Northampton and Mercy Medical Center in Springfield have revised their policies in recent week.
Rise in youth hospitalizations, COVID rates ‘very worrisome,’ says Baystate Health chief pediatrician
Updated Apr 09, 5:03 PM;
Posted Apr 09, 4:03 PM
Dr. Charlotte Boney chairs Baystate Medical Center’s department of pediatrics and is pediatrician in chief.
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SPRINGFIELD A month ago, there was not a single case of COVID-19 to be found at Baystate Children’s Hospital. So far this month, there have five pediatric admissions with Baystate Health labs reporting an up to 9% positive rate among those under 18 years triple the state average.
Dr. Charlotte Boney, who chairs Baystate Medical Center’s department of pediatrics and is pediatrician-in-chief, characterized the rise in admissions and the positivity rate on Friday as “very worrisome.”
Baystate Health to close Mary Lane Outpatient Center in Ware
Updated Jan 26, 2021;
Posted Jan 26, 2021
Baystate Mary Lane Outpatient Center is located at 85 South Street in Ware. (Don Treeger | The Republican)
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WARE Baystate Health plans to phase out its Mary Lane Outpatient Center within two years, closing the facility by 2023 and relocating a majority of its services to Baystate Wing Hospital in Palmer.
In June, Baystate will close the Baystate Mary Lane Satellite Emergency and cancer care services will be transitioned to the D’Amour Center for Cancer Care in Springfield. Over the next two years, imaging/3D mammography and rehabilitation services, as well as OB/GYN and pediatric medical practices, will relocate to Baystate Wing, according to a letter from Baystate Health officials distributed Tuesday.
Baystate, Boston children’s hospitals strengthen Western Massachusetts access to specialized pediatric care
Updated Jan 14, 2021;
Posted Jan 14, 2021
Dr. Charlotte Boney chairs the department of pediatrics at Baystate Children’s Hospital. (Don Treeger / The Republican)
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SPRINGFIELD Dr. Charlotte Boney, who chairs the department of pediatrics at Baystate Children’s Hospital, was “over the moon” Thursday.
Baystate Health had just announced it has formalized its long-term relationship with Boston Children’s Hospital to provide Western Massachusetts residents with easier access to highly specialized pediatric care in neurology, dermatology and other areas.
“Over the last six years or so, we have been collaborating on more and more things with Boston Children’s to make subspecialty care really available locally to patients and kids in Western Massachusetts,” Boney said. “This is really taking our partnership to the next level and I am over-the-