Jessica Benedetto ’96 has been an internal medicine physician at North Shore Medical Center for 12 years and works exclusively in the hospital caring for acutely ill patients. NSMC is now one of the busiest hospitals in Massachusetts for COVID-19 activity, including the large academic medical centers.
Her job has shifted during the crisis, as have her colleagues’ — where once roles were clearly defined, both by task and by appearance, battling the virus has called for everyone to fill in for others as needed. For instance, doctors may help patients with meals because nurse visits are limited. Primary care and other specialists have joined the ranks to help keep the hospital staffed. And everyone wears the same PPE.
Read her full piece from the Daily Item here.
#TellUsTigers Q&A: Tanesha Brown, nurse manager, University Health Services
Tanesha Brown, the nurse manager at University Health Services, is a critical member of the University’s coronavirus preparedness team, working with a broad range of departments and colleagues across campus. She reflects on addressing the fear of the unknown, how she practices self-care and the most important things she wants people to know during the coronavirus crisis. Read more …
University president uses medical degree to help inform university COVID-19 response
University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel ’79 ran an immunobiology lab for 20 years and is a board-certified internist. That background helped him see the potential scale of the pandemic, and to make decisions about students overseas and in-person instruction, sooner than he might have otherwise. He was also better equipped to communicate with experts through that process.
Read more about how he and other university presidents responded here.
When It’s Safer to Stay Apart
Jordan Salama ’19 shares the story of his family leaving New York City, while his father, an infectious disease physician in New York City, stays behind to do his job.
Salama recounts the moment when the family realized how deeply the virus could affect them, and highlights the importance of everyone doing their part to protect not only themselves, but also the healthcare workers who risk everything to keep others safe.
Read the full story at Scientific American.