In Dorchester, a small neighborhood just outside of Boston, there sits a hospital that is breaking ground as the first U.S. treatment center for coronavirus.
Carney Hospital is by no means a large-scale operation, but it has still emerged as a large-scale player in the pandemic that continues to afflict the country and world alike.
Carney announced its transition into becoming a coronavirus-dedicated hospital in the middle of March. It still offers emergency services for all those in need of them, but there is a new level of precaution in regards to how staffs cares for their patients.
As of April 14, there are almost 600 thousand reported cases in the U.S., and more specifically just over 25 thousand in Massachusetts. As the healthcare system continues to grapple with these increasing numbers, new protocol is being constantly introduced to keep both patients and staff as safe as possible.
At Carney, some of this protocol includes reduced patient limits, constant sanitation of high-contact areas, and screening of anyone going in and out of the facility. Patients isolated from one another, even being given their own bathrooms.
Employees who are able to work from home, like quality and safety specialist Tara Bunnell, are being asked to do so. It remains unclear when these employees will be able to return to the hospital.
Medical staff at Carney, as well as other hospitals around the country, are risking their own safety to help those in need. It is reassuring to see that safety precautions are in place to keep these brave people as safe as possible in an unprecedentedly dangerous era of public health.
NU Journalism (McAlice) 