Skip to contents
In This Issue:
After Mayor Thomas M. Menino declared a public health emergency in Boston last week, BWHers from across the institution and distributed campus took action in response to the increased flu activity, never wavering from BWH’s commitment to providing the highest-quality care to patients and families.
“In the midst of a hectic time for our city and hospital, I was especially proud of BWHers’ quick and thoughtful response to the flu emergency,” said BWH President Betsy Nabel, MD. “You remained calm, compassionate, flexible and dedicated to keeping our patients, families and colleagues safe and healthy.”
Throughout the week, hospital leadership and staff ensured that BWH was positioned to support the influx of patients, and shared messaging about the importance and urgency of flu vaccination and proper hand hygiene. The Emergency Department successfully handled patient overflow, and smoothly transferred patients to BWFH. BWHers made certain that supplies, from face masks to Purell, were well-managed and available, and worked with primary care practices to provide consistent communication to employees and patients. BWH labs also played a huge role in the flu response, expanding their testing hours and making sure that patients were placed appropriately.
Occupational Health Services at Neville House continued to offer flu vaccinations, and Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center and Brookside Community Health Center held drop-in vaccination clinics to assist with the increased demand. Additionally, many clinical and non-clinical staff members volunteered their time to help with the increased patient volume. Outpatients were well cared for through procedures put in place in the Ambulatory clinics. Thanks to these efforts, BWH is fully prepared to respond, should a surge in inpatient admissions related to the flu occur again.
“This has been such a busy time for us, and everyone across the organization has stepped up to ensure the highest quality of care for our patients,” said Julia Sinclair, vice president of Clinical Services, who oversees Emergency Preparedness at BWH. “Thank you for all you have done and continue to do for our patients, their families and your colleagues.”