Mass.'s Plans To Distribute Coronavirus Vaccines

Also: a conversation with Boston Children's new CEO; how to lend support without burning out ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [View in Browser]( | [Donate [WBUR]]( [WBUR](  [WBUR]( October 19, 2020 Good afternoon, As a long-time observer of the Boston medical scene, I used to see its top echelons as dominated by old-school, bow-tied types who were about as diverse as the 19th-century portraits on the State House walls. In more recent years, there’s been a notable influx of women at the top — as leaders of Boston Medical Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Brigham and Women’s, and at the very apex of the pyramid, Dr. Anne Klibanski presides over the state’s largest private employer, MassGeneral Brigham (a.k.a. the behemoth formerly known as Partners Healthcare.) And today, WBUR’s Bob Oakes highlights a major milestone in racial diversity: He [spoke]( with Dr. Kevin Churchwell, who has just been appointed the new CEO of Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Churchwell, who is African-American, explains his commitment to greater diversity and equity. He also shares some positive COVID news: Children’s has treated more than 50 children with the rare inflammatory syndrome that sometimes follows the virus and "they've all done well." — Carey Goldberg, CommonHealth editor newsletters@wbur.org Must Reads url[How Massachusetts Plans To Distribute Coronavirus Vaccines]( Massachusetts says it expects to receive between 20,000 and 60,000 doses of vaccines in phase one. Priority, as suggested by the CDC, would go to health care and other essential workers who are treating COVID-19 patients or who may be exposed to these patients, as well as residents at greatest risk for severe cases of the disease. That includes patients with lung conditions such as COPD and those who are 65 or older. [Read more.](   #%23%23[Twitter](  #%23%23[Facebook](    [Cambridge Opens Public Showers As Housing Instability Grows]( First Church Shelter will staff and assist with use of the 10 showers, two of which are wheelchair accessible. City Councillor Marc McGovern says Cambridge is spending $12,000 a month to rent the units. [Read more.](  [Boston Children's Hospital Names New CEO Amid Pandemic]( Running one of Boston's top hospitals would be difficult in the best of times, but Dr. Kevin Churchwell will also face a few unique challenges when he takes over as CEO of Boston Children's Hospital next year. Churchwell must manage the pediatric hospital's response to the coronavirus pandemic — which has affected thousands of young patients. He also hopes to use national conversations about diversity and inclusion to open more doors at Boston Children's for members of minorities like himself. [Read more.](  [Helping Hands Need A Break, Too: How To Lend Support Without Burning Out]( If you're feeling numb or overburdened these days in response to another's pain or request for help, that doesn't make you unkind. What you're feeling could instead be what we mental health professionals call ["compassion fatigue."]( For tips and exercises, [read more.](  [COVID-19 Test Results Get Faster, But Still Too Slow To Help Slow Disease Spread]( People are getting the results of coronavirus tests in the U.S. faster than they were in the spring, but testing still takes far too long to help effective disease control measures such as contact tracing and quarantining, according to the results of a large national survey. [Read more.]( What We're Reading In the face of not-great coronavirus numbers — rising across the country and abroad — I’m trying to take comfort in bits of positive news. Here are a couple, at least for soldiers and daycare staffers. - A recent study by military researchers finds the ventilation and filtration on big commercial planes are so good that, as the headline puts it, "[it's almost impossible to get COVID-19 on an airplane]( (The full report is [here]( - CNBC reports on a national Yale study that finds [working]( child care does not elevate risk of getting COVID-19](. “This study tells us that as long as there are strong on-site measures to prevent infection, providing care for young children doesn’t seem to add to the provider’s risk of getting sick,” says [Yale professor Walter Gilliam](. “ The good news is there has been some improvement. The bad news is everything is still taking far too long. — Dr. David Lazer of Northeastern University, "[COVID-19 Test Results Get Faster, But Still Too Slow To Help Slow Disease Spread]( ICYMI [Top Palestinian Official Receiving COVID-19 Treatment In Israeli Hospital]( Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat is being treated for COVID-19 in a Jerusalem hospital after Israel gave the OK for his transfer from the West Bank. Erekat, 65, [received a lung transplant in the U.S. in 2017]( after suffering from pulmonary fibrosis. He reportedly tested positive for coronavirus earlier this month.      Did you know tobacco plants [could be helpful for making a coronavirus vaccine?]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📨 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. 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