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Teamwork comes full circle for doctor from Swampscott
By Steve Krause | May 7, 2020
Eleven years ago, she was Allie Beaulieu, and she and her Swampscott High girls basketball teammates were winning the Division 3 state championship at the DCU Center in Worcester.
Now, she’s Dr. Allison Beaulieu, she’s 29, and an emergency room resident at the UMass Medical Center in Worcester. And there’s a good chance she could be treating patients at that very same venue.
“I think that’s pretty remarkable,” said Dr. Beaulieu. “We played there for a championship, and now it’s been converted into a full field hospital during this (COVID-19) pandemic and we’re sending patients over there. It’s kind of a good indication of where the world’s gone in 11 years.”
Not to mention her life. Dr. Beaulieu played four years of college basketball at Bates, before going to New York Medical College, where she received her medical degree. Following her stint at UMass, which ends in July, she’s on to Ohio State to do a fellowship in medical education because her goal is to teach “the next generation of medical students and residents.”
The daughter of Dr. John Beaulieu and emergency room nurse Paula Beaulieu will have a lot to teach that next generation. As an emergency room physician at UMass Medical Center, she’s been on the front lines of treating the COVID-19 virus that has hit the city hard (2,504 cases as of Tuesday).
“We’ve seen high volumes of sick people,” she said. “One of the hardest things that I’ve found is that they’re all alone. There’s no family that’s allowed back in to see them. So what you have is family members on the other end of the telephone, and that’s how you communicate. It’s not being able to have personal interactions.”
The other thing she feels may be a little off-putting to people who come into the emergency department is how the physicians and nurses are dressed.
“We’re in full PPE (personal protective equipment), with face shields, masks and gloves, and we can look very scary to people coming into the hospital.”
But while it can be difficult, she said, it’s also part of the rewards of working in emergency medicine.
“I’m caring for people at their worst times and on their sickest days,” Dr. Beaulieu said. “There’s something about that.
“It’s also the teamwork, which I think sports really got me ready for,” she said. “Being in an emergency department, you’re on a full team that’s comprised of nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, and others. It’s a big team, and we work side by side every day. Having an athletic background really prepared me for that.”
Yes, she said, every member of the team has to be versatile.
“You have to be ready to treat whoever comes through that door,” she said. “You’re not seeing the same thing every day, and anyone can walk through that door. Often, it’s all hands on deck. And you pretty much have to be able to do everything.”
It’s also important, she said, not to be a robot.
“I don’t think it’s a bad thing to show emotions when you’re caring for people on their worst days, especially now with the pandemic.” she said. “I think it’s a good thing to show your emotion and show how much you care about the people you’re taking care of.
“You still have to go to work, though, and do what needs to be done,”she said. “But we’re all human. It’s OK to let that show.”
There are times when that emotion might get a little overwhelming.
“And when that happens, one of the great things about UMass is that everyone’s so supportive,” she said. “If you see someone having a rough time, there’s always someone there to lift them up.
“I think difficult patient encounters stay with us sometimes,” she said. “I know there are cases that stick with me.”
Last month, Dr. Beaulieu received the Massachusetts ASEP (American College of Emergency Physicians) Resident of the year award. She was nominated by her program director, Dr. Richard Church, director of residency emergency medicine at UMass.
The criteria included commitments to emergency medicine, compassion and patient care, recognition as a strong leader, commitment to the emergency medicine community, and commitment to the education and enrichment of others.
She’s unsure of when, or how, she will be honored for this.
“Because of social distancing, it’s probably going to be an online ceremony,” she said.