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Staff Shortages, RSV Surge Lead to Long Wait Times at Hospitals
As hospitals see a surge of RSV patients, doctors in Massachusetts say wait times in emergency departments are nearing historic highs. Dr. Paul Biddinger, the chief preparedness and continuity officer at Mass General Brigham, warns that the staffing shortage in the health care industry is only making the situation worse. “There were recent reports from the Massachusetts Hospital Association of…
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Here's Why RSV Is Sending So Many Sick Kids to Hospitals, Putting Them at Capacity
A serious surge in cases of RSV, the common children’s virus, is hampering pediatric hospitals in Massachusetts and across the country, increasing wait times at hospitals and sending administrators scrambling to ensure kids are getting the care they need to get better. The surge, which began in late summer, is intense — Mass General Brigham, the state’s biggest health...
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5 People Arrested, 1 Person in Hospital After Fight at Shannon Beach in Winchester
State police say one person is undergoing surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital after being severely injured in a large fight at Shannon Beach in Winchester, Massachusetts on Sunday evening. State police arrested five people involved in the fight, and the injured person in the hospital might also face charges, said police. Police say others were treated at the park for…
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As COVID Pandemic Slows Down, Doctors Report Increase in Other Illnesses
While the COVID-19 pandemic has waned, doctors are seeing an increase in other illness. “Demand is intense right now,” said Dr. Kevin Ard of Massachusetts General Hospital’s Sexual Health Clinic. “We’re receiving hundreds of calls a day.” As monkeypox cases have spread, Massachusetts has made the vaccine available at specific locations, including Ard’s clinic. “I’m concerned that it will...
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2 Boston Hospitals Ranked Among Top 20 in United States
Two of Boston’s largest hospitals rank among the top 20 in the entire country, U.S. News and World Report said in its annual Best Hospitals Honor Roll on Tuesday. U.S. News and World Report’s annual list of “America’s Best Hospitals,” released Tuesday, ranks the top 20 “Honor Roll” hospitals on a point system, evaluating overall performance at 4,300 hospitals in specific specialties, traditional and...
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Can Long COVID Be Detected? New Research Out of Boston May Signal Breakthrough
Researchers in Boston say they may have made a big step forward in how to identify and diagnose long COVID, the sometimes debilitating condition that some people infected with the virus develop.
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First U.S. Case of Monkeypox This Year Confirmed in Mass
The first confirmed case of monkeypox in the U.S. this year is in a Boston resident who’s being treated and monitored at Massachusetts General Hospital.
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Mass General Brigham Pulls Suburban Expansion Plan
Mass General Brigham officials said Friday the hospital system has withdrawn its controversial proposal to build outpatient care centers in Woburn and Westborough and to expand an existing facility in Westwood after learning Department of Public Health staff would not recommend approval of the projects. The DPH did, however, recommend that the Public Health Council, with conditions, partially approve a…
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Boston Hospitals Seek Participants in Long COVID Study
Six Boston-area hospital are joining a national effort to study long COVID, a condition in which patients suffer from symptoms for weeks, months, and even years after initial infection. A recent study estimates there are upwards of 23 million Americans who have experienced long COVID, a catch-all term for roughly 200 symptoms ranging from memory issues, brain fog, fatigue to…
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MGH Studies COVID Lockdown and Brain Inflammation
The societal and lifestyle disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic may have triggered inflammation in the brain that can affect mental health, according to a Massachusetts General Hospital study.
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MGH Study: Pandemic Lockdown May Be Linked to Brain Inflammation
COVID-19 lockdowns may have triggered brain inflammation even in people who didn’t get infecting with the virus, research from Massachusetts General Hospital shows. The societal and lifestyle disruptions caused by the pandemic may have triggered inflammation in the brain that can affect mental health, according to the study. The impacts manifest as symptoms including fatigue, brain fog and mental distress....
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Surge in Patients Prompts Some Mass. Hospitals to Tighten Visitor Restrictions
The surge in patients at Massachusetts hospitals is leading some to tighten their visitor policies. Mass General Brigham updated its rules Wednesday as the omicron variant of COVID-19 spreads and hospitalizations rise. “We’re trying to limit overcrowding in public spaces and in patient care spaces,” said Dr. Tom Sequist, Mass General Brigham’s chief medical officer. All of the facilities...
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Can You Get COVID Again After Recovering? Reinfections Are Possible, Experts Say
A recent CDC study of COVID reinfections looked at 1,572 patients. Forty became reinfected, for a rate of 2.5%.
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Icy Conditions Christmas Day Making For Slick Roads in Mass.
Freezing rain Christmas morning has made for treacherous conditions on roadways across Massachusetts. Nearly 700 pieces of Department of Transportation equipment were deployed across Massachusetts roadways Saturday to help deal with the ice and snow. Meanwhile, numerous crashes were reported in New Hampshire as well on Christmas morning. At the Newton Service Plaza, driver Linda Bento said she saw cars…
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‘Real Issue Is We're Letting Our Guard Down': Boston Doctor Talks Rise in COVID Cases
Dr. Sandy Nelson, an infectious disease expert at Mass. General Hospital, talks about the rise in COVID cases ahead of Christmas, and what we can all do to keep safe.
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Elective Procedures Paused at Some Mass. Hospitals Amid COVID Spike, Bed Shortage
Gov. Charlie Baker has ordered Massachusetts hospitals with bed shortages to stop non-urgent procedures this week. “Mass General and the Brigham are running most days over 95% capacity. The state is trying to get us to 85% capacity to have that extra elasticity for additional patients, but that is a really big reach for us,” said Dr. Ron Walls, chief…
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Mass General Brigham Workers Denied Motion Against COVID Vaccine Mandate
A group of hospital workers lost a legal bid against Mass General Brigham’s COVID-19 vaccine requirement on the day unvaccinated employees face unpaid leave. The lawsuit against the hospital system sought an injunction against the mandate that employees must be vaccinated against coronavirus. Eight employees named in the suit said they should be exempt for religious and medical reasons....
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Hospital Employees Sue Mass General Brigham Over COVID Vaccine Mandate
In a lawsuit filed against the Mass General Brigham hospital system, eight hospital workers say they’re against receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and shouldn’t be forced into it because they have exemptions based on religion and disabilities. They argue they should be accommodated and they should not be retaliated against. “The history of vaccine mandates by employers has been rather...
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‘Tough Situation': Rising COVID Cases Aren't the Only Strain on Hospitals Right Now
Hospitals and clinics are near a breaking point yet again, and COVID-19 isn’t the only factor. There are more and more people landing in urgent and emergency care and not enough medical staff to handle it, experts at major hospitals across Massachusetts said. “It’s a tough situation for all of us,” said Dr. Peter Dunn, vice-president of procedural services...
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A Universal Language: How Emojis Could Be Used by Doctors
Jackie Bruno sat down with Dr. Shuhan He of Massachusetts General Hospital, who is studying the benefits of emojis at the doctor’s office.