South Shore Hospital Brings COVID-19 Treatment To Patients' Homes
WEYMOUTH (CBS) - At South Shore Hospital, medical personnel are fighting back against COVID-19 in a unique way.
There are doing it with a type of COVID SWAT Team. A program at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth is sending health care workers to patients in their own homes to keep people battling the virus out of the hospital.
The paramedics then link the bedridden patients to the doctors with video.
"Via Zoom, we can get a lot of information on the patient. They're much more comfortable in their home. They're able to show you exactly how they feel," said Jess Maruca, a physician assistant at South Shore Hospital.
The COVID Swat Team introduced WBZ-TV to one patient who was given his last dose of remdesivir on Friday.
"I feel much better," the patient said. "I feel better every day."
The paramedics are on the road seven days a week, treating about 20 patients per day. They perform just about all the procedures a hospital would do, but in homes.
"This program is so wonderful in the fact that not only do I get to witness these patients get better, but witness them get better in their own lives," said South Shore Hospital Paramedic John Campbell.
One of the major goals of the program is to free up hospital beds.
"It allows hospitals to have more bed availability for patients who that might need to be more critically monitored in the hospital," said Patrick McGovern, the Mobile Integrated Health Coordinator at South Shore Hospital.
In the world of COVID-19, doctors and nurses have become fluid, adapting almost daily. And with the virus surging again, this team has developed a crucial weapon.
