ONS Physician Volunteers Help Greenwich Hospital Cope with COVID-19

It can’t be said enough. The true heroes of the COVID-19 crisis are the hospital physicians , the physician assistants, nurses and all other healthcare workers on the front line caring for coronavirus patients day in and day out. Long before the pandemic hit the area, the orthopedic and spine specialists at ONS, worked together with the hospital staff as healthcare partners caring for patients with orthopedic and spine injuries. It was only natural they’d want to ease the burden however they could.

“Well before the onset of this pandemic, Greenwich Hospital provided invaluable care to our orthopedic and spine patients,” said orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Marc Kowalsky . “They are our colleagues, our neighbors, and in many cases, they or their families have been our patients. Our contributions to their efforts in caring for COVID-19 patients are small in comparison, but we want to help lighten their load even if it’s just a little bit.”

BASIC MEDICINE

The ONS orthopedic surgeons have been tapping into basic skills they learned during residency training years ago.  During two or three volunteer shifts each week, the doctors have been assisting internal medicine physicians with the evaluation and admission of Covid-19 patients and others in the emergency department, in addition to treating musculoskeletal conditions while on call.

“Our role is very similar to that of a medical intern.  We provide support to free up the hospital doctors so they can deliver direct care to more coronavirus patients more quickly,” noted Dr. Berliner.

The ONS group says they’ll continue to assist in whatever way is meaningful to the hospital doctors, but they are looking forward to the day this crisis dwindles and they can go back to focusing on what they’re trained to do —  providing relief to people suffering musculoskeletal pain and impairment.