Month: May 2020
NCH President & CEO Gary Shaw on “Nantucket Pulse” Program
Nantucket Cottage Hospital President & CEO Gary Shaw appears on the latest edition of Nantucket Community Television‘s “Nantucket Pulse” program.
Understanding Links Between COVID-19 and Obesity
Key Takeaways
- Obesity is a disease that affects the body in multiple ways
- Patients that are hospitalized for COVID-19 are more likely to need ICU care if they also have obesity
- Mitigate the risk by limiting exposure to other people who may have coronavirus
Obesity is not a risk factor for becoming infected with COVID-19 that we are aware of today. However, new data suggests that patients who have obesity are more likely to require intensive care for COVID-19.
“Once you have the virus, we’re seeing patients with obesity need more ICU care,” says Angela Fitch, MD, FACP, FOMA, associate director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Weight Center.
“While obesity has not always been considered a disease in the U.S., it is, and we are seeing it as a common comorbidity among COVID-19 patients with the severe form,” says Matthew Hutter, MD, director of the Weight Center and president of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).
Dr. Fitch and Dr. Hutter share four specific risk factors that link obesity with severe COVID-19 and how to mitigate risks.
6 Tips for Keeping Relationships (Romantic or Platonic) On Track in Close Quarters
As couples, roommates and family members continue to be confined under the same roof, many people are facing new challenges in relationships. Being cooped up, and under higher levels of stress, can amplify underlying problems in many relationships.
Married couple Jacqueline Olds, MD, consulting psychiatrist in the Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Psychiatry and associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School (HMS), and Richard Schwartz, MD, senior consultant in residency training at McLean Hospital and also an associate professor of psychiatry at HMS, provide tips to keep relationships on track while quarantined.
Hospital Thrift Shop Update – May 2020
(May 11, 2020) Today was supposed to be Opening Day 2020 at the Hospital Thrift Shop, but there is no line on India Street today! It’s a sad day and we are missing the opening day tradition and seeing all of you. A special shoutout to all our loyal volunteers, shoppers, and donors. Although Opening Day 2020 had to be postponed, stay tuned for updates. After 90 years in business, the Hospital Thrift Shop will adapt and will continue to serve the Nantucket community moving forward. With your patience and support, we are looking forward to our 91st year in business. Keep up-to-date with the Thrift Shop by visiting HospitalThriftShop.org
NCH Mother/Daughter Colleagues Featured in the Cape Cod Times on Mother’s Day
NANTUCKET — On any given weekday, after the lunch rush, you could find Deb and Jaime Connelly in the Nantucket Cottage Hospital cafeteria. The mother-daughter duo, who have worked together at the hospital since 2012, would go to the lunchroom later so they ccould have the place to themselves.
That was before the pandemic.
Now, Deb and Jaime work from home, separate yet still inseparable.
“We usually call each other at lunch and talk while we are eating at home,” said Jaime, a senior patient financial counselor, who joined her mother at the hospital after years of owning a cleaning business.
“I miss her when I don’t get to see her at lunch, for sure,” said Deb, a financial clearance specialist. “It’s something I’ll never forget my whole life, because who gets to work with their kid all the time?”
The Connellys are one of five mother-daughter pairs who work to keep Nantucket Cottage Hospital going through the coronavirus pandemic. Read the full story in The Cape Cod Times by clicking here.