Health matters, especially yours

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When Mr. Gurdev Singh left CHA Cambridge Hospital, he had battled COVID-19 for 40 days. His amazing success story touched many of our staff. His CHA journey started in the Everett Hospital Emergency Department and and continued to the 4 West unit at Cambridge Hospital, the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and other units. With round-the-clock care, he eventually recovered and was able to return home.

"CHA took care of me since the beginning of the pandemic,” wrote Mr. Singh. “Back in March, being diagnosed with the virus was unheard of but their staff was amazing and contributed so much while I stayed there. I’m alive because of the staff and their team of experts. They’re just the best in the world for their incredible hard-work and teamwork. They watched over me 24/7. They’re the best !!!!!!!."

You can help patients like Mr. Singh. If you tested positive for COVID-19, and have fully recovered, you can donate blood plasma. This may contain antibodies that can attack the virus and help other people who are seriously ill with the disease. Find out more.

Telehealth Can Work For You

New telehealth services to make your care easier and safer.

Healthcare has changed over the last few months, and so has CHA! We’re excited to give you new ways to use technology and connect with your care team.

Get your care by video or phone. Start by calling your care center to schedule an appointment. Our staff can tell you if you need to be seen in person or by Telehealth. For video visits, we are now using MyCHArt and Google Meet. You can connect on your phone or computer. Follow these easy directions (in multiple languages). If you don’t have MyCHArt, contact your care center for a code to activate your account.
Tele-dermatology. Need help figuring out what that rash is? Or maybe it’s something else on your skin that’s making you uncomfortable. All you have to do is take a picture and send it to our Dermatology team in MyCHArt. (Please get a referral from your primary care team first). Learn more about these innovative dermatology services
Schedule your COVID-19 test in MyCHArt. Just log into MyCHArt and click on appointments at the top of the page. You can make an appointment on your own at our testing site (77 Middlesex Ave. in Somerville).

We have more new telehealth features in the works. Look for updates in next month’s issue.

Appointment Reminders are Back

Earlier this month we turned our appointment reminder system back on. This means you can now get calls or texts for your upcoming in-person visits. We plan to incorporate telehealth visits into our reminders over the next few months.

Do you want to get reminders? Make sure your contact information is correct in our system. You can call your care center and let them know, or update your information yourself in MyCHArt.

Immigrants Welcome

If you’re an immigrant affected by public charge, here’s some relief. As of July 29, the DHS public charge regulations are on hold nationwide for the rest of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. The injunctions from a federal judge also put on hold the State Department regulations and a presidential proclamation that would have restricted immigration to the United States by people who are uninsured and cannot pay the costs of their health care. Find out more about Public Charge here .

Find out about local resources for immigrants at CHA’s Immigration Resources page .

Know More About Opioids

CHA is participating in the Massachusetts Opioid Screening and Awareness Day on September 22. Join a free virtual town hall, where you can learn from experts about opioid use, treatment and local services. You will be able to take a free, anonymous, online screening for you or a loved one. Anyone who screens positive, or still has concerns about opioid use, can get a referral to local treatment resources, including those at CHA. The screening and resources will be available at opioidscreening.org.

An estimated 275,000 people in Massachusetts currently struggle with opioid use disorder, but only about 10% are receiving treatment for it. Tragically, about 5 people die each day in Massachusetts from an opioid overdose. Remember that opioid use disorder is treatable and help is available. Find out more on September 22.

Check out all your health information on MyCHArt!