Boston Medical Center

In April 2025, Stanley Maddox was at home eating takeout chicken wings when he suddenly felt like he needed to bring the food back up. At first, he thought the chicken had gone bad, but when it happened again a few days later, his wife of 52 years, Yvonne, insisted he get checked out at Boston Medical Center.

At the appointment, Stanley had an upper endoscopy, where the doctor inserts a tiny camera through the mouth to examine the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. He and Yvonne returned a week later for a follow-up. “When the doctor came into the room, I knew something was wrong... She told me there was a mass in my esophagus. After that point, everything started going pretty fast.”

Although Stanley had successfully beaten prostate cancer a decade earlier with treatment at BMC, an esophageal cancer diagnosis felt much more frightening. But the care team moved quickly, connecting him with Chief of Thoracic Surgery, Dr. Chris Digesu.

“Even though I was probably at my lowest point after finding out I had esophageal cancer, Dr. Digesu made me feel really relaxed,” he says.

After eight weeks of chemotherapy at Boston Medical Center - Brighton, Stanley underwent a robotic esophagectomy led by Dr. Digesu and thoracic surgeon Dr. Michael O’Connor to remove his esophagus and reconstruct his digestive system using minimally invasive techniques. Following an eight-day hospital stay, he completed another eight weeks of chemotherapy to reduce the risk of recurrence.

Today, Stanley continues follow-up care with Dr. Digesu and oncologist Dr. Olga Kozyreva.

This , Stanley has some advice for others facing a cancer diagnosis: “There's always a little light at the end of the tunnel. You just kind of have a positive attitude and keep praying.” Get the full story: https://bit.ly/4vr3eyu

Pride is reflected in how we care -- every day. We recognize and celebrate our LGBTQ+ patients, colleagues, and communities, and are committed to providing care that is safe, affirming, and grounded in respect for every person who walks through our doors.

Last year, 29-year-old Alex Marques ended up at his local hospital with a bout of pneumonia. Concerned about the possibility of meningitis, his care team performed CT scans of his neck and chest. Though the scans thankfully ruled out meningitis, they revealed a dilated pulmonary artery. Within weeks, he was meeting with cardiologist Dr. Amrit Misra at the Cardiovascular Center at Boston Medical Center.

“It was wild,” Alex says. “When I met with Dr. Misra, he asked me about my symptoms and listened to my heart and immediately said, ‘I think you have a hole in your heart.’”

Testing confirmed that Dr. Misra was right: Alex was indeed born with an atrial septal defect (ASD) or a hole in the wall of his heart. Dr. Misra, a specialist in adult congenital heart conditions, told Alex they could close his ASD to improve his symptoms and help prevent future complications.

“I played a lot of sports when I was younger, and I remember having chest tightness and being out of breath sooner than other kids, but I never was diagnosed with asthma or anything," says Alex. "Now that I look back, it makes a lot more sense I was having all these symptoms. It was very validating."

Today, Alex says his breathing and chest pressure have really improved. When he’s not bartending at a local brewery, Alex enjoys hanging out with his fiancée, her 10-year-old daughter and their two cats. He looks forward to his continued good health and follow-up visits at BMC. “Everybody at BMC was awesome,” he says. “Dr. Misra is very personable and kind. He is honestly one of the best doctors I've ever had!”

Get Alex's full story: https://bit.ly/4wDyPi7

On Mental Health Month, we're resharing Lianne Csiceck's story about regaining confidence in her daily life and how BMC is working to improve access to PTSD care.

For Lianne, PTSD was not even a possibility in her mind but ongoing anxiety and emotional stress after an injury eventually led her primary care provider to refer her to a BMC research study on PTSD.

Now a new study is building on previous research (including the project that Lianne participated in) and examining whether a stepped-care model, which coordinates primary care and specialty mental health services, can help close longstanding gaps in PTSD treatment.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4ccxzZR

Patient Story: Lianne’s Experience Helps Shape a New Model for PTSD Care Having received treatment for the PTSD she experienced after a severe injury, Lianne is again able to enjoy traveling with her family.

As GLP-1 use becomes more common, many people still feel caught between needing to lose weight and facing judgment for using medication to help them do it.

Dr. Eric Nolen-Doerr, endocrinologist and weight management specialist at BMC, spoke with Health about the importance of recognizing that obesity is a chronic disease. Better education, normalization, and support could help more people feel comfortable seeking care, staying on treatment, and maintaining their long-term health.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/4wTrkU9

GLP-1 Use Is Mainstream, But Many People Still Feel Ashamed to Talk About It A new survey from Health found that many GLP-1 users still face stigma and judgment, even as the drugs become more common and widely accepted.

Your BMC is our monthly patient newsletter that features important information about services and programs, tips for healthy living, stories from around BMC, and more.

Available in multiple languages, including Haitian Creole, Your BMC is here to help you stay informed and stay well. Sign up for our newsletter here: https://bit.ly/43kB78f

This Memorial Day, BMC Health System is remembering and honoring those who bravely served our country.

As we gather with loved ones, may we also feel the strength of community and show compassion to each other. Wishing everyone a safe, healthy, and meaningful Memorial Day.

BMC’s Curbside Care is an innovative mobile health unit that delivers expert care to birthing people and their newborns for the first four-to-six weeks after birth. Generously supported by the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation, with funding from Tufts Health Plan, Curbside Care eliminates childcare and transportation concerns to ensure families receive comprehensive postpartum and newborn care, lactation support, and access to specialized services, all to improve health outcomes.

We're excited to share that BMC's new and improved Curbside Care van has more clinical features that will better serve our community.

Watch BMC's Rosha Forman, MSN, CNM on NBC10 Boston: https://bit.ly/42U7XwD

Celtics, BMC partner on ‘Curbside Care' for new parents The Celtics and Boston Medical Center are teaming up through Curbside Care, a mobile program that delivers postpartum and newborn care directly to patients’ homes across Boston, helping remove barriers. Follow NBC10 Boston’s The Hub Today:https://instagram.com/thehubtodayhttps://facebook.com/The...