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Born
Kathleen Anne Sperrazza was born in Boston, Massachusetts. -
Graduated College
Kathy graduated from Northeastern University with a BS in nursing in 1976. -
Working
Kathy began to work as a registered nurse at Peter Bent Brigham hospital in September of 1976. She worked as a staff nurse and as a nurse-in-charge in the medical ICU (Intensive Care Unit), the surgical/burn/trauma ICU and spent the majority of her 20 plus years in the coronary intensive care unit. She gave direct care to critically ill or injured patients, oversaw care given by other nurses and coordinated the care of patients with physicians and other members of the healthcare team. -
PBBH becomes Brighams and Womens Hospital
Peter Brent Brigham Hospital l later becomes Brighams and Womens Hospital in the early 1980's and affiliated with MGH and became part of Partners. -
Marriage
Kathy married Steven Sperrazza in June of 1982. -
Only kid
Kathy and Steven had a baby girl named Alyssa in January of 1985. -
An investigation was solicited
An investigation that the workers solicited from the National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety took place around 1995. The hospital told them the problems were related to latex allergy but the facility was undergoing construction, problems with ventilation in many areas and exposure to a wide variety of chemicals and cleaning solutions widely used in healthcare facilities.
http://www.brighamandwomens.org/about_bwh/publicaffairs/news/pressreleases/PressRelease.aspx?PageId=1217 -
Issue is addressed to BWH
While Kathy was disabled, she got together with other colleagues who surveyed the staff to understand the extent of the effects. With the assistance of the Massachusetts Nurses Association a group of nurses were able to address the issue with the hospital that lead to the nurses and other employees receiving the support and assistance. -
Issue addressed to BWH (2)
The hospital spent millions of dollars to remediate the area and improve the ventilation system which contributed to the problems. The Brigham eliminated the use of latex from the hospital and made it fragrance free as well. -
Workers interviewed by Boston Gobe
The group of nurses from BWH made a NOVA video called “can buildings make you sick” 1995 In addition the Brigham nurses were interviewed by the Boston Globe and the local news stations when the staff at BWH was becoming ill and many were unable to work. Nurses and health care-workers across the country were experiencing the same illnesses of latex allergy, chemical sensitivity, asthma and many other severe health issues. -
Workers interviewed impact
The work they did influenced other nurses across the country through the American Nurses Association. The American Nurses Association led to Grants from the EPA to educate healthcare workers about this issue also. -
Powerpoint Presentation
Kathy created a powerpoint presentation in order to spread the message the effects and how it impacts the nurses at BWH. -
Left Brigham and Women's Hospital
Kathy left BWH in 1996 after she became ill as a result of exposure to latex and a myriad of chemicals found in the hospital environment at the time. -
Graduate School
Kathy went to graduate school at the University of Rhode Island and received an MS in Labor Relations in 2003. -
Article Published
Kathy wrote an article about her experience in order to spread awareness on occupational safety. https://www.massnurses.org/health-and-safety/articles/miscellaneous/p/openItem/1464 -
Later Work
Kathy began working as a hospice nurse for Dana Farber and then for Partners Hospice. She cared for terminally ill patients mostly in their homes and some in assisted living facilities and extended care facilities until she was unable to work due to my illness. -
Diagnosed with Sclera Derma
Kathy was diagnosed with sclera derma and diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension and became oxygen dependent later that year. -
Occupational Health Study at UML
Simultaneously while working for hospice Kathy began working on an occupational health study at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She then applied to the doctoral program and finished all of her doctoral courses in occupational epidemiology and began research on nurses exposure/prevention of hazardous chemicals until she had to leave the program due to her illness.
