May 13, 2020
Heroes on the front line: Kelly Young
A new Coverage series features the voices of doctors, nurses and other hospital workers battling the coronavirus in Massachusetts
Around the world, health care providers are on the front line of the battle against the coronavirus.
Many are struggling not only to treat a disease with no known treatment, one to which no human has natural immunity. They are also facing an unprecedented global shortage of the masks, gowns and gloves known as personal protective equipment. That equipment is essential to preventing health care workers from getting infected themselves and from passing the virus to patients and to their own family members.
Clinicians and other hospital workers sign up to work long hours, nights and weekends, away from their families. But never in our lifetime have they been asked to put their own health and their loved ones’ health at such risk.
At Coverage, we are giving Massachusetts doctors, nurses, NPs, PAs and the environmental services staff who keep their hospitals clean a chance to speak to you, our readers, in their own words. We asked that they share their simplest, most urgent messages as they face this new virus with no vaccine and no cure, a virus vulnerable only to our common human bravery, ingenuity and compassion.
As the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved over the past few months, it has been our privilege to serve in support service roles to all of our clinicians and patients.
There is definitely a sense of pride in the Environmental Service Department knowing that the work we do is critical in preventing the spread of this infection. When I watch our staff disinfect elevator buttons, door handles and many other high touch surfaces, I can truly see the pride in their eyes. They know when they go home at the end of the day, their work contributed to the safety of people around them.
I have also watch our nutritional services staff put together food baskets every day which are delivered to staff breakrooms. I see how this makes them happy, knowing that it will make a difference throughout the day for nursing and other clinical staff.
Finally, our patient transport team continues to go above and beyond. I want to acknowledge them for taking on additional transport tasks which were not previously carried out by them in order to help during the pandemic.
- Kelly Young
Director of Environmental Services and Patient Transportation
Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital - Milton
More in the "Heroes on the front line" series:
Dr. Vijay Sankaran
Attending physician
Boston Children’s Hospital
Gloria Batista
RN
Boston Health Care for the Homeless
Brad Robillard
RN
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Suzanne Cook
RN
Tufts Medical Center
Avital Rech
Nurse manager
Boston Medical Center
Trish Powers
Operating room RN
Brigham and Women’s Hospital