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BMC Nurse Criticizes Hospital Practices Amid COVID-19 Outbreak

WAMC Northeast Public Radio | By Josh Landes
Published March 16, 2020 at 4:32 PM EDT
A sign with directions for various departments of a hospital stands at a crossroads
Josh Landes
/
WAMC
The main sign at Berkshire Medical Center's Pittsfield campus

Today, The Berkshire Eagle reported that Berkshire Medical Center has 160 employees under quarantine. The Pittsfield, Massachusetts hospital is fielding COVID-19 cases in Berkshire County. Registered nurse Amber VanBramer works in the BMC Critical Care unit and is also a member of the Massachusetts Nurses Association bargaining team. She says some nurses are unhappy with a policy that calls for BMC employees to reuse supplies in the midst of the crisis – a policy that the hospital told WAMC is in line with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. VanBramer spoke today with WAMC.
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New England News COVID-19
Josh Landes
Josh Landes has been WAMC's Berkshire Bureau Chief since February 2018 after working at stations including WBGO Newark and WFMU East Orange. A passionate advocate for Berkshire County, Landes was raised in Pittsfield and attended Hampshire College in Amherst, receiving his bachelor's in Ethnomusicology and Radio Production. You can reach him at jlandes@wamc.org with questions, tips, and/or feedback.
See stories by Josh Landes
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