As More Health Care Workers Die From Coronavirus, Colleagues And Friends Are Left With ‘What Ifs’
The Washington Post tells the stories of the undercounted doctors, nurses, and other medical and support personnel who have died during the pandemic, as well as the co-workers left to deal with grief, anger, frustration and fear. More news on health care worker safety is also reported.
The Washington Post:
Hundreds Of Health-Care Workers Lost Their Lives Battling The Coronavirus
There is no official tally of their deaths. More than 77,800 have tested positive for the coronavirus, and more than 400 have died, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which acknowledges that’s a significant undercount. The nation’s largest nurses union, National Nurses United, puts the total much higher: 939 fatalities among health-care workers, based on reports from its chapters around the country, social media and obituaries. Nurses represent about 15 percent of those deaths, the union said. (Babb, Shammas and Cha, 6/17)
'Lost On The Frontline' Special Report: For more on this story, KHN & The Guardian profile over 100 health care workers who died of COVID-19. Read their stories.
San Francisco Chronicle:
Bay Area Hospital Workers Exposed To Coronavirus Want More Testing For Themselves
More than two dozen Napa hospital workers are growing increasingly worried about the availability of coronavirus testing at Queen of the Valley Medical Center, the county’s largest health care provider. While the hospital contends it’s doing the best it can to protect its workers, many employees feel differently. The issue recently came to a head after seven workers, not wearing adequate personal protective gear, were exposed to a coronavirus patient. More health care workers who interacted with that patient, along with others who tested positive, contend that management did not respond with the proper level of care and testing, according to their labor union. (Moench, 6/17)
Boston Globe:
Mass. General Brigham Cuts Executive Salaries, Freezes Pay For Others
Mass. General Brigham, the state’s largest network of hospitals and doctors, said Wednesday it would temporarily cut executive compensation and freeze pay for thousands of employees after losing $800 million in revenue during the coronavirus pandemic. The company, formerly known as Partners HealthCare, also said it would suspend contributions to employee retirement plans. (Edelman, 6/17)
