Capital District Times

The Covid-19 pandemic, which emerged in early 2020, has had a lasting impact on the medical community and society at large. Albany Medical Center was one of the many institutions affected by the virus's rapid spread and the subsequent strain on healthcare systems. The initial concerns about supply chains quickly gave way to urgent actions as the virus reached New York State, leading to over 80,000 deaths.

Dennis P. McKenna, MD, president and CEO of Albany Med Health System, reflected on their response: “We did what our community expected of us. We went into action.” By December 2020, Albany Medical Center was selected as a hub for the Capital Region Vaccine Network to help distribute vaccines across eight counties.

Alan Sanders, MD, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Albany Medical Center, noted that Covid-19 is now endemic. “It’s here to stay but fortunately we don’t see those numbers of people dying and on ventilators the way we did in the early days,” he said. He highlighted that while coronaviruses were not new, no one had antibodies when Covid appeared. “The world was not immunologically prepared for it,” he stated.

Dr. Sanders also emphasized the scientific advancements made during this time: “Who knew that people would be able to just go to the local pharmacy and buy a test in a box that could tell them if they had a virus in a matter of minutes.” He warned against vaccine hesitancy and stressed remembering lessons from the pandemic.

Research conducted at Albany Medical College revealed significant insights into long Covid. Ariel Jaitovich, MD explained findings from studies with other universities showing unique blood biomarkers in long Covid patients: “This suggests that long Covid is a single disease and not an aggregation of multiple conditions.”

Infrastructure adjustments were crucial during the pandemic. Samantha DiCiccio spoke about regional cooperation in maintaining patient care amid shortages: “We did not have enough gloves, masks, or goggles so we worked with community partners such as University at Albany and Albany Medical Center.” Urgent care centers adapted through telehealth services and outdoor patient consultations.

Hillary Alycon praised her team’s resilience: “We are unstoppable in the face of need.” Scott Heller discussed enhanced emergency preparedness efforts: “Officials from our region in New York... meet regularly. We conduct more emergency response drills.”

Rakel Astorga reflected on health care providers' capabilities demonstrated during Covid-19: "Patients came from our community... Soon the ICU was full." DiCicco noted how experiences strengthened their team beyond the pandemic period.

Recent events like an IV fluid shortage showcased improved collaboration among hospitals due to lessons learned during Covid-19.