A Letter to the Community From Emerson Hospital's CEO

Dear Community Friends,

I am writing to update you on Emerson Hospital’s response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The outpouring of support we have received from many of you is truly overwhelming. I am very grateful for and humbled by our community’s response.

You may have heard the Governor’s announcement that a surge is expected to hit Massachusetts in the coming weeks. Our teams are working around the clock as we expand our resources and capacity at the hospital. Everyone has pulled together to assure we are prepared to care for our community. Here are some of the things we are doing to care for you and your family.

• Planning for a Surge: We have increased our inpatient capacity and created a second intensive care unit to care for additional patients. We continue to pool our resources and purchased additional ventilators and equipment. We are also working closely with federal, state, and local officials to ensure we are well-prepared to care for our patients throughout the region.
• Protecting Our Emerson Hospital Heroes: The safety of our staff is always our first priority. Through the generosity of our community, we currently have the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect our staff. We monitor our resources daily. To further this effort, we are purchasing scrubs for our frontline caregivers with plans to professionally launder them so staff do not have to wear them home.
• How You Can Help Fight COVID-19: Help save lives by staying home! The virus does not move, people move it. The symptoms of COVID-19 take several days to appear. This means that someone can carry the virus even though they have no symptoms. Practice social distancing, wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Also, please take care of yourself! Get some fresh air, take a walk, or listen to your favorite music. We will get through this crisis together!
• How You Can Help Emerson Hospital: Generous friends have stepped-up and continue to ask how they can support Emerson during this unprecedented crisis. In addition to PPE donations, cards, and messages of support, monetary donations will allow us to continue to purchase the necessary equipment to protect our staff and care for patients. For example, purchasing scrubs for staff will cost the Hospital $40,000. Please consider a donation in any amount — just $20 can purchase a set of scrubs for our frontline staff!

Thank you for your continued support during these dynamic times. You can find the latest information about our response to COVID-19 at www.emersonhospital.org/coronavirus and by following Emerson Hospital on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Our Emerson Hospital Heroes continue to impress me every day. Please know that we are doing everything we can to care for you!

Be well,
Chris

Christine Schuster, RN, MBA
President and CEO, Emerson Hospital