SOUTHBRIDGE, Mass., April 15, 2013 — Harrington HealthCare Systems Tuberculosis Clinic has been honored with a statewide award by an advisory panel to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH).
The Medical Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Tuberculosis (MACET), which advises the DPH on tuberculosis prevention and control, has honored the Harrington TB Clinic with an Institutional Partner Award for its exemplary work in treating tuberculosis in the region.
Harringtons clinic received the honor at a recent Statehouse ceremony in Boston that was attended by some of the regions state legislators, including State Senator Richard. Moore and State Representatives Peter Durant and Ryan Fattman.
In conjunction with the Institutional Partner Award, Harrington Hospital received two citations from State Senators Moore and Stephen Brewer citing the hospitals role in fighting tuberculosis.
In announcing the award, the co-chairs of MACET, physicians Thomas Garvey and Edward Nardell, stated, “We were impressed with the way the TB Clinic reached a successful outcome in a highly complex situation and have been struck by the way the three-person clinic has engaged a holistic approach to patient care, helping patients obtain health care coverage, immunizations, primary care homes and needed social services. In addition, the hospital has a long history of providing TB services in an area where transportation to other clinics would be virtually impossible.”
Harringtons clinic consists of Medical Director Michael Gaudet, M.D.; TB Clinic Nurse Debra Vescera, BSN RN, who is also public health nurse for nine communities in the region; and Nancy Johndrow, Medical Office Assistant. The TB Clinic comes under the jurisdiction of Arleen Smith, RN, who heads Harringtons CompreCare program.
In accepting the award, Vescera said, “Having a tuberculosis clinic located in Southbridge has been an essential service in this area. Many of our patients have transportation issues that would make it impossible for them to travel into Worcester or out to Springfield (which are the closest locations of other TB clinics for the majority of towns in this area).”
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