Department of Medicine COVID-19 Daily Update
Albert Einstein College of Medicine Montefiore Health System
In mid-March 2020, the first COVID-19 patient was admitted to Montefiore Healthy System, in the Bronx. The densely populated, low income and racially diverse population with the highest burden of disease in NYC quickly became the epicenter of the pandemic. By April 11, there were over 2,300 COVID-19 patients admitted across Montefiore, with nearly 500 patients in ICUs. Little was known about how to test, diagnose and treat the disease. There was a shortage of space, PPE and equipment, and clinical specialists and trainees were deployed to ICUs and areas outside their expertise. Staff members were testing positive and scared they would infect their families, and many felt helpless as they watched patients die. We created the COVID-19 Daily Update in an effort to provide valuable information and to boost morale throughout the Department of Medicine and the hospital. It quickly grew from several paragraphs of COVID-19 news to include a wide-range of resources including updated treatment protocols, educational videos (intubation, sedation), policies, calls for donations, new research, emotional resources, hero of the day, and more. We published daily from March to May, tapering off through July. Our mailing list grew from 2000 to over 7000 throughout Montefiore and alumni.
What was the most impactful part of your award-winning entry?
The Bronx was the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic when little was known about how to diagnose and treat the disease. Our Daily Update provided valuable information to thousands of frontline workers and staff during this extremely hectic time.
What is one thing you learned from this experience?
That most everyone in our hospitals, from frontline clinicians to administrative staff, felt scared and helpless during this time. The range of information we provided daily - from treatment protocols to calls for donations and recognition of people's efforts - was greatly appreciated.
What challenge did you overcome?
The information regarding COVID-19 during the surge changed fast and was disparate. Publishing the daily newsletter required gathering information from busy frontline providers and leaders, and scouring news sources and research articles. We did this with no budget for 68 issues.
Contact
Amy Sacks, amy.sacks@einsteinmed.org