Mercy Hospital of Buffalo
Connections
News and announcements for associates, patients, and their families. Winter 2021
It’s That Special Mercy Touch!
Bill Coplin, MD, critical care physician in the ICU, demonstrates the state-of-the-art telestroke unit.
Because minutes matter when treating someone who is having a stroke, Catholic Health has invested in the latest telehealth technology to virtually connect neurologists and neuro-critical care specialists at its Comprehensive Stroke Center at Mercy Hospital with emergency and critical care providers across its hospital network. The In Touch telestroke units feature highquality video-conferencing capabilities; pan/ tilt/zoom cameras; and fast, secure CT image transfers, allowing physicians at Catholic Health’s outlying hospitals to consult with Mercy’s stroke specialists, in real time, to make critical treatment decisions. “The addition of this telestroke equipment is a clear example of using technology to improve care,” said Lee Guterman, PhD, MD, Medical Director of Neuroscience Services for Catholic Health. “It will help ED physicians determine whether it’s best to treat stroke patients in place with time-sensitive, clot-busting medications or whether they need to be transferred to Mercy for lifesaving, neuro-interventional care.” “It will also help us avoid unnecessary patient transfers and keep patients closer to home when possible,” Dr. Guterman added.
The Bills’ successful season was just the right medicine to help us get through another COVID surge. In this photo, our Mercy staff were showing their team spirit.
Vaccines Plus Hope Make Us Want to Shout! It’s been nearly a year now that our Mercy Hospital team has been on the front line of this COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout these unprecedented times, our staff has continued to show great courage, dedication, strength and resilience. And, the arrival of the vaccines just before Christmas brought hope and light on the horizon for all of us. Also making many of us happy and providing much needed diversion to another surge in COVID cases in late 2020 was our victorious “AFC East Champions” Buffalo Bills football team. Catholic Health held “Bills Days” during the Playoffs where staff could dress up and show their team spirit while collecting donations for the Helping Hand Funds. As of February, the number of COVID patients hospitalized in the system has been steadily declining. Elective surgeries have also recently resumed at Mercy after being placed on hold by New York State in late November. In addition, inpatient hospital visitation, with the exception of COVID patients, resumed in early February but is restricted to one visitor at a time between 2 pm to 6 pm daily. Maternity visitation remains suspended, however, patients may continue to have one dedicated support person with them throughout their stay.
Pictured above is CVICU nurse Lena Quarantello who became the first Mercy Hospital associate vaccinated for COVID on December 14. For questions or more information, call the Catholic Health vaccine associate hotline at 923-0671.