'Heroes Of UPMC': Pittsburgh Health Care Professionals Work Virtually With New York Hospital To Save Lives, Beat Coronavirus
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Pittsburgh, thankfully, has not had to confront a surge of coronavirus cases.
But that doesn't mean Pittsburgh hasn't been involved in some of the most intense battles against the virus.
Doctors and nurses here have electronically connected with their colleagues in New York to help save lives.
In fact, New York-Presbyterian Hospital took out a full-page ad in the Sunday Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to thank "the amazing #healthcare heroes of UPMC" for coming to their rescue.
"We reached out regionally and nationally to places like New York and offered our support," says Dr. Rachel Sackrowitz, chief medical officer of UPMC's ICU Service Center.
Almost two dozen UPMC critical care doctors, along with a couple of dozen nurses, volunteered to consult with hospital staffers who were forced to operate outside their normal duties.
New York-Presbyterian Hospital had a surge of patients on ventilators but not enough ICU specialists to care for them all.
The non-ICU specialists filling in needed guidance, and they got it from Pittsburgh.
"It could be that a ventilator needs adjustment or a medication that is given in the ICU needs to be addressed," says Dr. Sackrowitz.
UPMC's doctors got an emergency certification to read medical records of patients in New York and information flowed between the two cities.
Dr. Ian Barbash, a UPMC critical care physician, says doctors in New York would keep a Pittsburgh doctor on the phone with them as they made their rounds.
And the New York doctors would sometimes show the Pittsburgh workers who - and what - they were dealing with.
"We would look at the patient or look at the ventilator, to try to use that visual information to help us make recommendations," says Dr. Barbash.
More information on the Coronavirus pandemic:
- CDC Coronavirus Information
- CDC Global Map of Confirmed COVID-19 Cases
- Pennsylvania Department of Health Information
- Allegheny County Health Department Information
"It was really a wonderful experience to be able to work virtually, shoulder-to-shoulder, with critical care colleagues in New York," says Dr. Sackrowitz.
"And it's been incredibly rewarding," adds Dr. Barbash, "to be able to bring some of our expertise to our friends in New York City."
