Lahey Hospital News

Only nine months into their marriage, Joe was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer that had metastasized to his liver. He credits the care he received at the Lahey Cancer Institute with saving his life. And now, Joe and Nicole are rallying their family and friends to join them in raising money and running the Lahey Cancer Institute 5K Walk & Run.

Staff from the operating room and other units are pitching in to help in the Emergency Department and Intensive Care Units (ICU) at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sean Hurley, CRNA, says the teamwork he has seen in the ICU is an inspiration during what has been a tough time for so many.

Seeing your loved one for the last time and having that last conversation is an important part of the grieving process. Marilyn MacIntosh almost didn’t get to see her brother, Bob, one last time before he succumbed to COVID-19. But thanks to a donation of 50 iPads to Lahey Hospital & Medical Center from CDW Healthcare, she was able to say goodbye.

Patient care has completely changed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not just on the front lines of the outbreak, but for social workers and therapists, too. Mary Bazylewicz, LICSW, is a licensed social worker in Lahey Hospital & Medical Center’s Department of General Internal Medicine. In this time of social distancing, she has had to provide therapy via telehealth. 

Every day, Sam and Caroline Brabeck ask their father about his day at work. David Brabeck, MD, a physician at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, has been on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, and his daughters could see that the long days were tiring, not just for their dad, but for the patients, too. They started a poster campaign to brighten people’s days, and it took off.

Sara Davies, MD, wanted to help the hospital where she worked for more than 30 years, but she was concerned about coming out of retirement, like some of her colleagues had. “I’m in a high-risk group,” she explained.

You couldn’t miss the loud sirens or the flashing lights as dozens of first responders’ vehicles drove by Lahey Hospital & Medical Center. The parade was a show of support for the healthcare heroes who have been working for weeks to save lives in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the pandemic, the medical staff at Lahey’s Joseph C. Corkery, MD, Emergency Center is responding just that way, as they are experiencing the expected surge of COVID-19 patients firsthand. The contagious virus has changed everyday life, not just for patients, but for the people who treat them.