Beth Israel Lahey CEO: Hospital System Is 'Still Able To Keep Up With COVID-19 Surge So Far
As Massachusetts reached a grim milestone in the coronavirus pandemic — the 1,000th death to the disease in the state — the chief executive officer of one of the region’s largest healthcare company said, so far, they “are still able to keep up” with the surge of cases.
“Our folks are working around the clock, and working very, very hard. And at the same time, we’re still able to provide care to anybody and everybody that needs it,” Dr. Kevin Tabb, the president and CEO of Beth Israel Lahey Health, told Jim Braude on WGBH News’ Greater Boston Wednesday.
But with 1,108 deaths and nearly 30,000 cases in the state, and worst of the outbreak still to come, Tabb was clear the hospitals he oversees have been hit hard.
UMass Memorial Healthcare CEO Says Central Mass. Is Keeping Up With Coronavirus Demand 'Just Fine'
With traditional hospitals filling up with coronavirus patients, and the worst days expected ahead, field hospitals have opened across the state to alleviate the pressure on the healthcare system.
Dr. Eric Dickson, the president and chief executive officer of UMass Memorial Health Care — the system responsible for operating the DCU Center field hospital in Worcester — said the partnership between the city, state and his organization enabled the facility to go up in just eight days.
“When everyone is focused on a common mission, saving as many lives as we can from this horrible virus — it’s amazing all the barriers that seem to just dissolve,” Dickson told Jim Braude on WGBH News’ Greater Boston Wednesday.
