MGH Photography; Kate Flock; Quality Inn Revere; Chelsea Covid-19 Isolation Hotel
IN APRIL, MassGeneral Brigham and Boston Healthcare for the Homeless opened Boston Hope, a 1,000-bed medical center inside the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center designed to safely isolate, test and treat COVID-19 patients experiencing homelessness while reducing density at area hospitals.
Geren Stone, MD, Director of the MGH Global Medicine Residency and Fellowship Program, was among the clinical staff of the field hospital, which served 700 COVID-positive patients before its doors closed in June.
MassGeneral Brigham also set up a similar facility in Revere: A 147-room Quality Inn was repurposed as an isolation hotel, serving those from Revere, Chelsea, and other hot spot cities who did not have a place to safely self-isolate. Patients were provided individual rooms and three meals a day at no cost; with medical staff available 24/7, and behavioral health specialists also on site.
MGH Global Nursing Director Mary Sebert, RN, MPH, and former International Nurse Program Manager Monica Staples, RN, MSN, were critical in the community response, serving as nurse managers for the Isolation Inn until completion of the program in June. Kristen Giambusso, MPH, MGH Global Health Deputy Director of Global Disaster Response and Humanitarian Action (GDRHA), served as the lead Practice Manager and Kerry Phelan, MBA, MGH Global Health Program Manager, provided additional project support.
Lynn Black, MD, MPH, and Lindsey Martin, NP, Director of GDHRA, also helped direct a Surge Clinic at MGH, which was designed to relieve the strain on emergency department resources by providing COVID-19 testing and evaluations for those experiencing respiratory illness.
