Dr. Mark Hochberg MD in New York Stays Ahead of COVID-19 Patient Wave

The COVID-19 response team at New York’s Bellevue Hospital, which includes Dr. Mark Hochberg MD and other medical providers, currently stands out on the frontline of the battle against the coronavirus. The team is working in overdrive to help the critically ill New Yorkers through this time of crisis. The hospital is being recognized across the United States for its unique ability to stay ahead of the wave of critically ill New Yorkers during the time of the coronavirus.

Bellevue’s Unique Coronavirus Preparation and Treatment Efforts

Dr. Mark Hochberg MD and the remainder of the team began to go into overdrive as soon as New York City’s first COVID-19 case was recorded in March. In just a few days, medical providers moved intensive care unit (ICU) patients to various wings. Afterward, carpenters and engineers began to retrofit the 54 ICU rooms with exhaust fans and filters for treating COVID-19 patients. Then, as soon as a room was opened, a patient quickly filled that room.

However, in addition to treating patients, the hospital has focused heavily on keeping health care staff as safe as possible, too. For this reason, Bellevue’s nurses created their own creative workarounds to boost their safety. For instance, they were able to rig medication pumps and intravenous lines in a manner that prevented them from having to always enter patients’ rooms to adjust their medications. Staff also follow a special protocol for taking swabs of patients who are suspected to have the coronavirus.

According to hospital officials, Bellevue Hospital’s extraordinary preparation/treatment efforts set the hospital on the path to coping with New York City’s influx of COVID-19 patients several weeks ago. And according to Dr. Mark Hochberg, this is well in line with the hospital’s previous experiences with dealing with health crises impacting the public.

Bellevue’s History of Taking Care of Pandemics

Bellevue Hospital, New York City’s oldest hospital, has treated such outbreaks as smallpox and yellow fever outbreaks since its founding in 1736. The hospital also tackled tuberculosis, typhus, and even AIDs during the 1980s.

Bellevue Hospital was additionally successful in responding to the 1918 influenza pandemic, when it had to put three children in a single bed. Furthermore, Bellevue Hospital treated New York City’s only Ebola patient during the outbreak of this virus back in 2014.

Bellevue Hospital with the help of Dr. Mark Hochberg MD has developed a reputation for treating patients that no one else wanted to treat or could treat. In fact, the medical center’s passion for handling pandemics and infections disease is a part of its legacy.