February 7, 2003

MGHers remember weathering the storm of the century

It was one of the biggest snowstorms ever to hit Boston. With some 30 inches of snow, wind gusts exceeding 60 miles per hour, and snowdrifts 15 feet high, the city was brought to a complete standstill. Throughout the Great Blizzard of '78, businesses and schools closed, cars were abandoned and city streets and highways became virtually impassable. But at the heart of a silent city, a beacon of hope remained — the MGH. A city in itself, the hospital teemed with unlikely heroes and stories that still are remembered today.

The storm itself, which started Feb. 6, lasted only two days but employees and patients who found themselves at the hospital were stranded for up to a week. For many employees, the biggest challenge was just getting to the hospital. Many MGHers were forced to walk. "I knew I had to get to work," says Richard Devoe, purchasing manager in Environmental Services. "When I made the decision to go, I piled on as many layers of clothing as I could, put on my boots, grabbed my backpack and just started to walk" Devoe made it on foot from South Medford.

Jim Guiry, senior construction manager in the Planning Office worked in the MGH Carpenter Shop at the time of the blizzard. He left his house in Everett at 5:30 am to walk to the subway — only to find the MBTA closed. He decided to continue on foot. He arrived at the MGH a little after 9:30 am where he was met by his supervisor Dennis Dickson. "I had just walked miles in a blizzard, and the first thing Dennis said to me was 'You're late for work Guiry.'" Dickson obviously was joking, but a sense of humor proved essential for everyone to get through the long week ahead.

A sudden loss of power in the early morning hours of Feb. 7 caused temporary chaos, remembers Susan Barraclough, RD, senior manager for Retail Food Services and Food Production. "It was the first moment whenthings stopped being fun and started to become a little scary. I wasn't sure what was to come next," she says.
When the power was restored, the alternate generators caused a circuit overload leaving Bigelow 8 and 11 still without electricity. MGHers responded with professionalism and grace. Nursing staff performed manual breathing support for critical patients until power was fully restored. "Throughout it all, the nurses kept their focus on patients, their families and their colleagues," says Judy Newell, RN, MSN, nurse manager. "We truly were a team, and the partnerships that were created that week still remain today."

Nutrition and Food Services kept the cafeteria open until midnight and fed all staff, employees and volunteers for free while also attending to the dietary needs of patients. At one point during the power outage, Barraclough and her staff carried food trays up the darkened stairs to patients in the White Building while volunteers who lived on Beacon Hill staffed the kitchen and made hundreds of sandwiches.

Meanwhile, the Materials Management Department worked hard to provide needed supplies — from pharmaceuticals and syringes to blankets and towels. Buildings and Grounds staff kept the outside of the hospital shoveled and accessible to incoming patients and employees. Nick Gallante, who worked in the Buildings and Grounds Department for more than 40 years and retired in 2002, led the snow removal efforts. Buildings and Grounds workers also braved the treacherous roads to pick up stranded employees and drove to local stores to obtain essential supplies, including several trips to the Hood milk plant in Charlestown when the milk supply ran low.

"We faced a challenge that week that we had never seen before," says Guiry. "MGHers were happy to step up to the plate to do whatever needed to be done." Barraclough remembers: "There was such a wonderful sense of camaraderie and teamwork among the staff and volunteers. I came out of it with a renewed respect for the skills and talents of our employees. It was a difficult time but it was an absolutely wonderful experience in many ways."

Remembering the blizzard of '78

• Massachusetts was in a state of emergency with a six-day driving ban.
  Power failed in the hospital Feb. 7, from 3 to 6:30 am.
• Beacon Hill residents, who volunteered to make sandwiches for patients and staff, formed human chains on staircases to deliver food to all patients.
• The majority of MGH employees arrived at the hospital by walking, using skis or emergency vehicles.
• The MBTA opened the Charles Street station earlier than planned after the blizzard was over to help MGH employees get to and from work. The station also had extended hours for employees working the evening shift.
• On top of working extra shifts, 150 employees donated blood during the blizzard.
• MGH Radiation Therapy, aided by the National Guard for transportation, remained fully functional for cancer patients and saw a total of 271 patients throughout the week.