New England Baptist Hospital nurse dies from COVID-19

BOSTON — More than 1,000 people have now died from the coronavirus in Massachusetts. The 4th highest in the country. One of the latest deaths, a nurse at New England Baptist Hospital.

The nurses family tell 25 Investigates they are struggling to wrap their heads around losing someone who gave so much. They say Rose Taldon of Dorchester was a nurse there for almost a decade. They say she died from COVID-19 on Easter Sunday.

One of her old coworkers tells us she was a longtime MBTA inspector who retired to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse. They say she rose the ranks to inspector at MBTA and put herself through nursing school while also being a mother. She says Taldon died a servant.

“She was full of life, gregarious, and a force to be working with,” said former coworker Dee Jenness. “She was the hardest working woman I’ve known. She worked 3 different jobs and it is so sad that she never got to enjoy retirement. And she died serving others.”

25 investigates learned the hospital has a total of 19 employees who have tested positive for the virus. Given the nature of this hospital being mostly orthopedic with no ER, there is just 1 suspected patient. That patient has been tested but is now awaiting results.

The hospital staff say the fact that there are 19 employee cases and just 1 suspected patient underscores the point that employees often contract this virus outside of a hospital setting.

“We have transformed New England Baptist Hospital from a specialty orthopedics hospital into a general medical hospital caring for patients with health conditions other than COVID-19. We have been transferring some non-COVID-19 patients to the Baptist so that other acute care hospitals in the Beth Israel Lahey Health system can stand ready to face a potential surge of patients with COVID-19,” said Beth Israel Lahey Health Vice President, Communications Jennifer Kritz. “All employees complete a daily symptom screen.”

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