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Cooley Dickinson Women’s Health Changes Name
NORTHAMPTON — Effective imme- diately, Cooley Dickinson Medical Group Women’s Health will be known as Cooley Dickinson ObGyn & Midwifery.
Over the years, both anecdotally and through formal research, “patients have told us that our name doesn’t fully reflect those we serve,” said Dr. Edward Patton, Cooley Dickinson’s chief of Obstetrics &
Gynecology. “We take care for everyone, not just those who identify as women, and given that we are committed to being in- clusive in caring for everyone, it was time to change our name to reflect who we are.”
Director of Midwifery Mary Paterno, who joined the practice in November, says “changing our name is an important part of our commitment to patient-centered
care for all people in need of midwifery and ob/gyn services.”
Community members who are calling the practice may have noticed that the patient-services representatives answer the phone with the new name. Changes to the Cooley Dickinson website take effect in early January, and signs will be updated this summer.
“We’re all looking forward to this change,” Patton added. “We have appreci- ated the feedback from our patients and are excited to convey to our community what we have been doing all along: pro- viding exceptional, compassionate, and personalized care to everyone.”
Massachusetts Medical Society Treating Racism as Public-Health Crisis
WALTHAM — The Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS), supporting more than 25,000 physicians in the Common- wealth, has recognized racism as a public- health crisis and has convened an expert panel to address and combat healthcare- related issues caused by structural racism.
Further, the medical society committed to being an antiracist organization and will work to promote equity and racial justice by prioritizing antiracism in its
policies, strategic plan, governance, and activities.
In support of this effort, MMS Presi- dent Dr. David Rosman assembled an an- tiracism advisory group within the society, which provides counsel in and guidance toward the formation and implementation of the organization’s Antiracism Action Plan.
“The Massachusetts Medical Society views healthcare as an inalienable human
right, and for far too long injustice and racism in myriad forms has interfered with that right, which has led us into
an inexcusable public-health crisis that causes illness and premature death for our black and brown patients,” Rosman said. “Our pointed aim is to correct this and, as importantly and simultaneously, address all forms of racism that affect patients, physicians, and our colleagues in the healthcare workforce.”
The Antiracism Action Plan stresses engagement and support of minority physicians at the MMS; support and resources for underrepresented minorities in medicine who face abuses and dis- crimination in their institutions, practices, and places of work; addressing racism and reducing racial inequities affecting patients and public health; and educating physicians and the membership at large about racism.
Cooley Dickinson Receives $19,500 Grant from Rotary International
NORTHAMPTON — Cooley Dickin- son Hospital recently received a $19,500 grant from Rotary International to purchase a ventilator and linens (approxi- mately 690 sheets, pillows, and towels) to support COVID-19 care.
“We are glad to help Cooley Dickinson Hospital obtain the ventilator that will service many people. We at Rotary are people of action, and these are the type of projects that we do,” said Marc Glass, 2020-21 governor of Rotary International District 7890.
Anna Holhut, past president of the
Construction
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Indeed, there is general uncertainty about when or even if the rising prices on materials will start to ease, and this uncer- tainty could play a role in whether some projects move forward or not.
Bradbury told HCN there is inclination among some in healthcare (and in other sectors, obviously) to try to wait these increases out with the hope that prices will start coming down.
“But there is no guarantee that prices will come down,” he said. “One thing I
Rotary Club of Amherst, noted that the organization was “proud to submit an ap- plication for a grant to help Cooley Dick- inson Hospital provide important care to COVID-19 patients in our community. We’re happy to support our local hospital when needed.”
This fundraising initiative to support the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund runs from Feb. 8 to Feb. 12. For more information, visit charity.gofundme.com/ supportcooley.
“Rotarians truly place service above self, and this dedication to their community
always tell people is that, while they think they can wait out the increases in materi- als costs, there are never any guarantees that they will, so we encourage people to move forward with projects — if it fits their timeline and their budget, because there are no guarantees.”
Meanwhile, COVID will likely impact the healthcare construction market in another way, said those we spoke with, spe- cifically the lasting impact it seems destined to have on the real-estate market. Even when COVID eases, they said, it seems almost certain that some companies will settle into smaller spaces as more people work at home, bringing more commercial real estate onto the market, which will, in
is visible through their generous gift of a ventilator. This critical piece of equipment will help vulnerable patients, especially those with respiratory issues attributed
to COVID-19, do the most basic of life functions: breathe,” said Diane Dukette, Cooley Dickinson’s chief Development officer. “The ventilator and linens will directly help our talented respiratory ther- apy staff take care of patients at Cooley Dickinson. We are so excited to announce this gift just as we kick off our fundrais- ing initiative in support of the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund.”
turn, impact new construction. “Renovating existing space is almost
always less expensive than building new, especially when you consider those amaz- ing price increases we’re seeing,” Bradbury said. “A lot of our business is new construc- tion, and we’re contending with a lot of empty office space; long-term, there will be more available office space to lease on the market, which, across some industries, will tamp down new construction, but it will bring an opportunity for more build-out and renovation of existing space.”
Bottom Line
Looking back, and ahead, those we spoke
The Rotary’s Disaster Response Grants program is designed to provide a fast and effective way for districts to respond to local events. Recently, the Rotary Founda- tion added COVID-19 projects to its list of eligible activities to receive grant funding. Each district can apply for one grant to address COVID-19, depending on the availability of funds. Rotary District 7890 applied for this grant on Cooley Dickin- son’s behalf through the Rotary’s Disaster Response Grants program and at the request of the Rotary Club of Amherst.
with said a sense of normal — or a new nor- mal (there’s that phrase again) — is returning to the healthcare construction scene.
But there are many question marks still looming over the scene and a number of variables that could impact how much work and what kinds of projects move into the pipeline.
There has been a great deal of pivoting over the past year — for the construction firms and their clients as well — and there is certainly more to come.
But for now, momentum is building in a number of ways. v