Going the Distance for Patient Care
Care givers at BWH routinely go the extra mile for patients. In January, NICU nurse Kerri Halligan (above, second from right) journeyed more than 6,000 miles to ensure a patient’s safe transfer to a San Diego hospital. Halligan described her journey as the final leg of care for a three-month effort of several nurses to provide the best care for little Thomas Benton, born prematurely at 1.8 pounds.
Tricia Benton delivered Thomas at BWH in September while she and her husband, who live in San Diego, were on a trip to Cape Cod. Thomas remained in the NICU until December, when he was strong enough to travel aboard a medical flight to San Diego. Halligan accompanied mother and son on the eight-hour flight, returning to Boston the next day.
In addition to Halligan, those who cared for Thomas included Marjorie Wilson, MD, PhD, (above left) nurse practitioner Kathleen Murphy and nurses Ann Overholtzer (second from left), Keisha Murray, Kerri Duggan and MaryEllen Muszynski. “These people saved my son’s life,” Tricia told the Boston Herald, which reported on Thomas’ birth and journey home.