Page 36 - HealthcareNews Jan_Feb 2021

State Files $400 Million Bond Bill to Rebuild Holyoke Soldiers’ Home
HOLYOKE — The Baker-Polito ad- ministration filed “An Act Financing the Reconstruction of the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke,” which would provide $400 mil- lion in capital authorization for a major project to reconstruct the long-term-care facility at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home.
This bill provides the capital authoriza- tion that would allow the Division of Cap- ital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) to construct a new facility on the site of the current Soldiers’ Home that would meet the needs of the veterans of Western Mass. and their families.
The capital project is on an expedited timeline, necessitated by the April 15 deadline for the VA State Home Construc- tion Grant Program, which would provide
65% matching federal funds. To meet that deadline, DCAMM must have this authorization available by April 1, which requires this bond bill to be enacted by mid-March, with a terms bill filed and enacted soon afterwards. The design- development phase must be completed by Aug. 1 to be eligible for this cycle of the grant program.
“Building a new, state-of-the-art long- term-care facility at the Soldiers’ Home
in Holyoke will ensure we can continue providing quality care for current veterans residing at the home, as well as future residents,” Gov. Charlie Baker said. “I look forward to working with our partners in the Legislature to pass this bill so that we can transform the future of the home,
meet the next major deadline in the capital project, and continue to secure funding from our federal partners at the Veterans’ Administration.”
The current Holyoke Soldiers’ Home was constructed before modern design standards for medical facilities, said Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders, “and the administra- tion has taken immediate steps to address urgent capital and infection-control needs, but it is clear that a major reconstruction of the campus is necessary for the safety, health, and comfort of future generations of veterans and staff. We are pleased that the planning process involved significant opportunity for community and stake- holder input into the plan’s development
to date.”
Massachusetts National Guard Maj.
Gen. Gary Keefe, who chairs the board of trustees for the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, added that “I have been pleased by the rapid planning process and the Baker- Polito administration’s commitment to hearing and responding to the views and concerns of the veteran residents, families, and staff on a wide range of priorities, including bed capacity. This is a great example of how we can achieve positive outcomes for our Western Massachusetts veterans, and we look forward to serving them in this beautiful new facility.”
face shields. All dental hygiene students, faculty, and staff are scheduling appoint- ments to be vaccinated.
Anyone who enters Building 20, where the clinic is located, must complete an at- testation form and answer questions about any recent travel outside of Massachusetts and if they have experienced any symp- toms related to COVID-19 or have been exposed to anyone experiencing symp- toms. Staff also will check temperatures of people entering the building.
To schedule an appointment, call (413) 755-4900. For more information, visit stcc. edu/dental.
now because we went first.
“I think a lot of our healthcare workers
were anxious at first, but as they saw their colleagues getting the vaccine and doing fine with it, they were excited, because now there’s a light at the end of the tunnel — there’s some hope that helped bolster con- fidence in it,” she went on. “The more we know about this, the more people will feel comfortable with it. Knowledge is power.”
So is hope, said Dr. Bobby Redwood, chief of Emergency Medicine at Cooley Dickinson.
“For me, this was a personal milestone,” he said when he was part of the first wave to get vaccinated locally. “This is a service to our community, to my family, and ultimately to the world. And this a pattern
I hope we see spread like wildfire, because the more people who get vaccinated, the quicker we will get out of this pandemic.” v
STCC Dental Hygiene Clinic Offering Free Treatments
SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Techni- cal Community College’s (STCC) Dental Hygiene Clinic will offer free preventive treatment for children and adults through March.
The clinic on the campus of STCC usu- ally charges a nominal fee for services, but the college decided to waive fees for two months to help the community, many of whom are facing financial hardship dur- ing the COVID-19 pandemic. The clinic, which is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., is now accepting appointments.
“The service at the clinic includes scaling and prophylaxis (teeth cleaning), any needed X-rays, fluoride treatments, as well as dental sealants for children, which
Vaccines
Continued from page 7
cern about receiving the vaccine,” Brown said, noting that Public Health Commis- sioner Dr. Monica Bharel considers health equity to be a primary priority. “There- fore, DPH is having additional, ongoing conversations about the best ways to try to improve vaccine confidence among some of these groups that are harder to reach.”
Rolling Up Their Sleeves
Judging by the demand, most people seem enthusiastic about the vaccine, par- ticularly those who work in healthcare.
“Taking the vaccine is the best solution to reducing the risk of spreading the virus,”
can run from $30 to $60 per tooth in the outside sector,” said Meg Loadholt, Dental Hygiene program coordinator.
The clinic in Building 20, Room 238 offers comprehensive oral healthcare pro- vided by STCC dental hygiene students under the direction of licensed dental hygienists and dentists.
“The STCC Department of Dental Hygiene continues to prove its long- standing value as the region’s premier training center for dental team members in dental offices near and far,” said Martin Wohl, chair of the Valley District Dental Society. “Providing their terrific expertise, especially in the face of all our pandemic trials, highlights the responsibility the program and its students feel toward their
said Shannon Wesson, director of Nursing at the Leavitt Family Jewish Home during a vaccination event for residents and staff in January. “I don’t want to risk giving it to a resident, or to anyone. If I can be a part of the solution, I want to be.”
Uvalyn Davis, a CNA who has been working at the facility for more than 23 years, contracted the virus back in April, and still feels the physical effects of the illness. “I am so excited to get the vac- cine,” she said. “I want to be able to get my strength back and not wear a mask. I want to hug my residents and dance with them again. I know what I went through, and I don’t want to get COVID again. The vac- cine is for our safety, we’re all here together, and it is the best thing we can do.”
What it isn’t, Haessler said, is a license to stop doing the things that slow the viral spread. It takes about 10 days for someone
stressed communities. I hope community members take full advantage of such a valuable resource for as long as it can be available. In addition, the training of every student will be greatly enhanced.”
The clinic adheres to strict safety guide- lines during the COVID-19 pandemic. The college has temporarily suspended any aerosol-generating procedures (name- ly, ultrasonic scalers and polishing teeth) from treatment options. In certain cases, under direction of a faculty member, such treatment might be allowed using devices that eliminate 93% of aerosols.
The college has limited the number of people who can gather in the clinic and labs to allow for social distancing. Both students and faculty wear masks and
to begin developing immunity after the first dose, and full protection doesn’t arrive until about 14 days after the second dose. But it’s still unknown how easily vaccinated individuals can spread the virus to others.
“The bottom line is, even though you’re vaccinated, you still need to wear a mask, stay six feet apart, avoid crowds, and wash your hands frequently,” she explained, noting that vaccination is the last layer of protection, but far from the only one.
It is, of course, a critical one, and that’s a message she continues to spread to those who might be anxious about making an appointment.
“Educate yourself about vaccine safety and talk to trusted sources — your own personal healthcare provider as well as people you know who have been vaccinat- ed,” Haessler said. “Many, many healthcare workers in our community are vaccinated
36 WWW.HEALTHCARENEWS.COM JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021