‘I Feel Like a Princess’: Bridges to Moms Program Treats Mothers Experiencing Homelessness to Day of Beauty
The hum of hairdryers mixed with laughter and conversation in the Fishbowl Conference Room at 850…
May 24, 2023
After Receiving Lifesaving Cancer Care, New Mom Rejoices in Being ‘Gifted My Greatest Love’
In celebration of Mother’s Day, Brigham Bulletin is highlighting one patient’s remarkable path to…
May 9, 2023
Interns Inspired by Family: Three Brigham Match Day Stories
Across the 18 Brigham residency programs participating in Match Day — when thousands of medical school…
March 21, 2023
New Parents ‘Forever Grateful’ for Compassion, Dedication of Brigham NICU Staff While Recovering from COVID
Sean LaPorta and Tejal Patel couldn’t believe what they were hearing during what was supposed to be a…
November 21, 2022
Brigham Team Collaborates with Paraguay Hospital to Treat Patients with Life-Threatening Brain Condition
Motivated by the desire to expand access to advanced health care, a Brigham neurosurgical team recently…
November 2, 2022
When a Colleague Didn’t Show up for Work, His Brigham Family Checked on Him at Home — a Decision That Saved His Life
Tony Orlina, BS, (R)(T), CMD, was exhausted when he returned to his South End apartment on July 24. He…
October 12, 2022
A Recipe for Healing: After Cooking Injury, Burn Patient Finds Support, Empowerment in Brigham Care Team
Laurie Mott was preparing a big family dinner one day in April when she experienced a terrifying…
August 8, 2022
Guiding Lights in Dark Hours: Community Partnership Supports Survivors of Violence
While patients have their most acute care needs met in the hospital, long-term healing often happens…
April 15, 2022
‘It Was Like He Was Your Dad’: Family Expresses Gratitude for Father’s Lifesaving, Compassionate Care
In celebration of Father’s Day, Brigham Bulletin is highlighting the touching story of a Brigham care…
June 14, 2022
After 113 Days of Hospitalization, Young Patient Grateful for Lifesaving Gift of Lung Transplant
This past winter, Kristen (Rousseau) Larochelle felt the cold air tingle in her lungs as she inhaled…
July 18, 2022
Patient Achieves Life-Changing Weight Loss with Support from Brigham Care Team
After years of living with obesity and feeling uncomfortable in her own skin, Kris Gagnon visited the…
July 27, 2022
NICU Staff Organize Precious ‘Prom Night’ Party for Babies and Families
Before the pomp and circumstance of graduation come the festivities of prom night — and with it an opportunity to celebrate an important milestone in style. On the eve of their graduation from the Brigham’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), three infants and their families did just that in the most adorable fashion.
March 23, 2021
Rejecting Fear, Embracing Life: After Second Face Transplant, Brigham Patient Welcomes ‘New Life, New Adventures’
Last July, Carmen Blandin Tarleton became the first person in the U.S. and second in the world to receive a second face transplant. The 20-hour surgery, involving a multidisciplinary team of over 45 clinicians, was the 10th face transplant performed at the Brigham since 2011 and the 16th nationwide.
February 23, 2021
By the Numbers: Brigham’s Flu Shot Programs
The pandemic made the logistics of large-scale flu vaccination considerably more challenging. But these obstacles were no match for the dedicated staff who led patient and employee flu clinics this fall.
December 8, 2020
‘This Family’s Story Sat in Our Hearts’: Care Teams Go Above and Beyond to Support Patients
Amanda Beauregard, then 38 weeks pregnant, did her best to ignore the mounting discomfort in her belly while resting in her husband Patrick’s room in Medical Oncology on Connors Center 7.
August 25, 2020
Confronting and Combating Health Inequities During the Pandemic
One of the pandemic’s greatest tragedies was COVID-19’s disproportionate impact on underserved communities, particularly among people of color.
June 26, 2020
‘A Game-Changer’: Cardiac Procedure Heals Patient’s Heart
George Araneo’s life changed forever last October. Walking home from dinner on Halloween night, Araneo, 66, suddenly became unconscious and fell to the ground.
February 27, 2020
Patient Shares Story of Resilience and Recovery
The first time Dawn Shreve reached out for help, she was a scared and confused teenager struggling to cope with a series of disorienting changes at home, including her parents’ divorce and the death of her grandmother.
February 13, 2020
A ‘Novel’ Approach: Traveling Book Cart Lifts Spirits with Literature
Even in the era of Kindles, iPads and countless other digital distractions, technology is no replacement for the simple joy of curling up with a book or thumbing through a magazine for some people.
February 6, 2020
Human Resources Staff Offer Guidance to SSJP Alumni
As Ekram Sakhta pursues her dream of becoming a Brigham nurse, she has been eager to soak up any career guidance she can find. So, when invited to an event that offered the chance to meet with a member of the Brigham’s Human Resources (HR) team, receive feedback on her resume and discuss career goals, she jumped on the opportunity.
January 16, 2020
On a High Note: After Traumatic Hand Injury, Patient Returns to the Piano
For as long as Murray Daniels can remember, he has felt most at home on a piano bench.
January 9, 2020
Behind the Scenes at the Brigham: Reiki Program
Relief washed over a man’s face as he watched his wife doze off in her hospital bed after receiving reiki therapy.
December 12, 2019
Pilot Clinic Extends Breastfeeding Support to Outpatient Setting
Patients who have their baby at the Brigham can meet with nurse lactation consultants during their hospital stay to discuss how to fulfill their infant’s nutritional needs, whether that means breastfeeding, formula feeding, donor milk use or a combination of these sources.
December 5, 2019
Giving Thanks: Patient Celebrates a Heart Full of Gratitude and Joy
Two years ago, on the eve of Thanksgiving, Ann Taylor and her family feared the worst.
November 21, 2019
Connors Center Hosts Annual Remembrance Service
Sixteen years ago, the multidisciplinary Connors Center Bereavement Committee began hosting a small remembrance service in Carrie Hall to help families coping with the loss of a baby. Since then, the service has grown tremendously, with many families returning year after year to remember their babies and support each other.
November 14, 2019
Odysseys in Mental Health: Assessing the Challenge
The following is an excerpt from “Entitled to Hope: Odysseys in Mental Health” in the fall issue of Brigham Health magazine. Read the complete issue at magazine.brighamandwomens.org. *All patient names have been changed to protect privacy.
November 7, 2019
Neobladder Surgery Allows Cancer Patient to Reclaim Active Lifestyle
After being diagnosed with an aggressive form of bladder cancer at age 40, Brian Mushlin spent the next five years trying to beat the disease through a multitude of medical treatments.
October 31, 2019
Police and Security Wear Pink Patches to Support Breast Cancer Research
By the time Capt. Kevin Slattery joined the Police and Security team two years ago, he was already well-acquainted with Brigham, although in an entirely different context compared to his role today.
October 24, 2019
‘Keyhole’ Brain Surgery Brings Speedy Recovery for Grandmother
Lois Ence, mother of eight, grandmother of 37 and great-grandmother of nine, faced a difficult decision after her left eye began to tear uncontrollably and the lid began to droop.
September 26, 2019
Celebrating Recovery Month: Bridge Clinic Inspires Innovation
Not only has the Brigham Health Bridge Clinic been providing timely care for patients with opioid addiction and other substance use disorders since opening last year, but it’s also inspiring innovation to combat the region’s opioid crisis.
September 19, 2019
From NICU Alum to Neuro Resident to New Mom: A Brigham Family Story
Sharon Conway, LICSW, was 26 weeks pregnant in 1987 when she and her husband, Stephen Conway, MD, saw the meticulously laid-out plans for the next chapter of their lives take an unexpected turn.
September 12, 2019
Elevating the Next Generation of Native American Health Care Leaders
As Jessica Lambert considered her options for internships earlier this summer, one stood out above the rest: the Four Directions Summer Research Program.
August 29, 2019
Not All Heroes Wear Capes: At the Brigham, Some Have Painted Masks
With a little help from Lead Radiation Therapist Marianne Weiler, MBA, RT(T), pediatric cancer patients who are undergoing radiation therapy at the Brigham have the option to transform into superheroes.
August 22, 2019
‘Illuminating the Darkness’ Around a Rare Disease
Five years ago, Sumaira Ahmed noticed a small black circle partially obstructing vision in her right eye. It expanded over the next two days, and soon she was unable to see out of that eye at all.
August 8, 2019
Marking a Milestone: NICU Alum Visits Brigham 40 Years Later
In the four decades since Karen Cashman was a patient in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Boston Lying-In Hospital, one of the Brigham’s predecessor institutions, much has changed.
July 25, 2019
Media Carts Bring the Comforts of Home to Patients
Four custom-made media carts — equipped with a 32-inch smart TV, Wi-Fi capability, a Blu-ray player, USB ports and a retro Super Nintendo game console — are available for patients to borrow upon request during their stay.
July 11, 2019
Behind the Scenes at the Brigham: Interpreter Services
When Sigfredo Salguero began working at the Brigham five years ago, he was struck by the professionalism and enthusiasm of each member of the Interpreter Services team.
June 27, 2019
Brigham Community Affirms Commitment to Health Equity
Brigham Bulletin invited all faculty, staff and trainees to reflect on how they are addressing health equity in their own work and their suggestions for advancing health equity at the Brigham.
June 13, 2019
From SSJP Grad to Clinical Engineer, Biomed Staff Grateful for Brigham Support
Since Andrew Green, M.Eng, was a senior in high school, he’s considered the Brigham’s Department of Biomedical Engineering his second home. Now a clinical engineer with the team, Green said he would not have landed his dream job if it weren’t for his experiences with the Student Success Jobs Program (SSJP) and endless support from his mentors here.
June 6, 2019
Behind the Scenes at the Brigham: Patient and Family Relations
As Lynne Blech reflects on the most rewarding points of her nine years in Patient and Family Relations, it’s the smaller, more private moments — sitting beside a patient or family member and listening to their concerns with kindness and empathy — that warm her heart the most.
May 23, 2019
A Local Lifeline: Brookside Offers Integrated Behavioral Health
Melinda, 54, a longtime patient at Brookside Community Health Center, said the clinic’s recent addition of walk-in hours for behavioral health counseling has been a lifeline during a devastating time for her family.
May 16, 2019
From the Heart: PA Spreads Cheer with Celebrations for VAD Patients
Since 2016, physician assistant Erin Lyons Matiello, PA-C, of the Heart Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support Program, has run the Boston Athletic Association’s (B.A.A.) 10K each June with the Brigham LVAD Warriors.
May 9, 2019
Brigham Team Tackles Global Cancer Burden Through Technology
Although their work takes place behind the scenes, pathologists are on the front lines when it comes to diagnosing and, by extension, treating cancer. But in much of the world, experienced pathologists are in short supply.
May 2, 2019
Former NICU Patient Gives Back to the Brigham
Kyle Wilcox spent the first 81 days of his life in the Brigham’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Eighteen years later, he’s a healthy high school senior who is preparing for graduation and college. Inspired to give back to the hospital that he and his family called home for nearly three months, Wilcox visited the Brigham on April 18 and donated gifts to parents whose babies are currently in the NICU.
April 25, 2019
Building Bridges, Closing Gaps: Program Supports Homeless Moms-to-Be
Shortly after Jasmine Sealy-Norvin, 28, learned she was pregnant with her second child, she gathered her courage, her 4-year-old son and whatever the two of them could physically carry — and they escaped.Home was no longer a sanctuary due to domestic violence.
April 18, 2019
‘Truly My Calling’: Aspiring Social Worker Advocates for Those in Need
When Carla Monteiro learned a few months ago that she would receive the Future of Social Work award from the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), she burst into tears.
April 11, 2019
Social Medicine: Is Our Criminal Justice System Harmful to Health?
When an uninsured, 44-year-old Latino patient arrived at a Philadelphia clinic to seek help for severe back pain, neither he nor his provider was prepared for the complex web of structural barriers that would ultimately affect his care.
April 4, 2019
‘Pal’ Programs Bring Palliative Care Closer to the Bedside
Since he began working more closely with the Division of Renal Medicine over the past several months, palliative care physician Josh Lakin, MD, says one thing has become abundantly clear: Patients with kidney disease face a complex constellation of medical complications, psychosocial concerns and quality-of-life issues.
March 28, 2019
Comunidad en Acción: Improving Health by Nurturing a Community
Comunidad en Acción, which translates to “Community in Action,” provides free services and educational resources for Spanish-speaking patients with diabetes or pre-diabetes to help them better manage their overall health.
March 21, 2019
Schwartz Rounds: Reflections on Compassionate Care
Sunny Eappen, MD, MBA, senior vice president and chief medical officer, guides an interactive discussion during Schwartz Rounds about what it means to deliver compassionate care and the barriers caregivers face when doing so.
February 28, 2019