Newton-Wellesley Hospital Celebrates Milestone Amid Coronavirus

NEWTON, MA — As the state braces for what Gov. Charlie Baker described as a surge in the number of people infected with the new coronavirus, one local hospital stopped to share a bit of good news, when a little goes a long way.

"We’ve discharged 46 patients with Covid-19 and they are on their way to recovery! We’re up for this fight!" posted officials from Newton-Wellesley Hospital on social media. Overnight the number went up to 57.

The hospital has 273 beds and has been making plans for this for weeks. It has canceled elective surgeries and has been converting units to treat patients diagnosed with the coronavirus. So far, they've treated more than 150 people with COVID-19 the disease caused by the coronavirus. Today, they are treating 75 patients who have tested positive for the virus, 18 of those are in the ICU. The hospital is monitoring another 24 people waiting for test results. And 66 staff have tested positive, according to the hospital.

As of Thursday, 18,941 people had tested positive for the virus across the state, and the number of those who had died rose to 503. Nearly 95,000 residents have been tested for COVID-19, according to health officials. Baker said Friday he expects a surge of cases in the state during the next week and a half.

"We've been preparing for this and planning for this," said Newton-Wellesley Hospital Chief Quality and Experience Officer Dr. Jodi Larson in a phone interview.

The hospital, she said had a plan going into the emergency and staff are in the middle of following their surge plans. The hospital has more than 50 ventilators in house, and enough personal protective equipment, she said.

"Overall, based on their estimates on when the surge is going to hit, we're very optimistic about having enough resources," said Larson. "Everyone feels at the moment that we're going to be ok."

She said staff are settling into the marathon ahead of them.

"The mood is serious, yet people are getting into the groove. It's a new normal to have the units full, over half are filled with COVID positive patients, so it's the new normal - everyone is taking care of these patients now," she said.

Part of that new normal is that there aren't visitors coming in and out of the hospital. So nurses and staff have stepped up efforts to make sure people feel cared for. One nurse had a family member of a patient send her photos and she put them up in a patient's room. Another staff member had a daughter who sang to some patients. The hospital is using iPads to help make sure patients can communicate with loved ones from afar.

"The compassion and willingness to jump in and help out is just unbelievable," said Larson. "Even though they're already all working hard, they also understand the families aren't here, and so as much as we possibly can, everybody is rallying in a way and taking care of our patients as though they're a beloved family member."

And just like any marathon the cheerleaders along the way have been invaluable.

This week, students at Newton North High School's class of 2021 sent in letters to doctors. They each picked a specific doctor, and hand wrote personal letters - about 150 in all.

At least one doctor told her that reading the letter made them cry.

There's also been support from the others in the community - surgical cap donations, food donations, people are using chalk and writing positive thoughts on the walkway.

"I get teary just thinking about it, the outpouring," said Larson.

But, what has Larson, who lives in Newton, been telling her neighbors, friends and family about how they can help?

"The community just needs to help us flatten this curve and stay home. Put your energy into helping people are socially isolated, but otherwise stay home," she said.

• MBTA Coronavirus: 53 Employees Test Positive
• MA Coronavirus: Where The State's ICU Beds Are
• Coronavirus In Newton: Deaths Rise To 12

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).