Steward Health Care's donation of 50,000 medical gowns to Massachusetts drew major criticism from nurses who say they've been forced to rewear gowns at some of Steward's hospitals, according to Boston 25 News.
Dallas-based Steward announced the donation May 14, saying the gowns would go to health officials and first responders across Massachusetts. The announcement shocked many nurses working at Steward's 10 hospitals in Massachusetts who did not know the system had a stockpile of medical gowns, according to Donna Kelly-Williams, RN, president of the Massachusetts Nurses Association.
"They should be taking care of their own people first," Peg Colon, a registered nurse at Dorchester-based Carney Hospital, told Boston 25 News. "The bottom line is we shouldn't give away gowns ... if our nurses are asked to reuse them."
Steward posted a promotional video about the donation and its stockpile of personal protective equipment on social media, which was later removed. Steward said it is reediting the video, which was taken down due to licensing issues, according to Nicholas Puleo, a spokesperson for the system.
“Many of the [PPE] orders placed in March arrived from international vendors last week and have been distributed to hospitals across our network," Mr. Puleo said in an email to Boston 25 News. "Only after restocking with this new supply, were we also able to make a donation to other front-line workers through our partnership with the state.”
To view the full report, click here.
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