PERSPECTIVE: This Memorial Day, Let’s Honor Fallen Health-Care Workers

At the May 6 Oval Office press meeting, President Trump said, “We went through the worst attack we’ve ever had on our country. This is the worst attack we’ve ever had. This is worse than Pearl Harbor. This is worse than the World Trade Center. There’s never been an attack like this.”

Trump has repeatedly called himself a “wartime president,” implying that this is a time of war. 

Although many are questioning whether Trump’s response is fitting for a time of “war,” we have come to agree that his declaration has been necessary to ensure that we fight together against a common enemy.

The soldiers in this war have proven to be our health-care workers who have been putting their lives on the line fighting this virus every day, but many of them have not been able to beat it themselves. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), limited information is available regarding COVID-19 infections among health-care personnel, but the CDC estimates that nearly 10,000 have been infected and that American hospitals have lost dozens. The CDC has called this a “likely underestimation” because health-care personnel status was available for only 16 percent of reported cases nationwide.

On Memorial Day, I think that as we honor the military personnel who have died serving in the armed forces, it is also important to acknowledge and honor the health-care workers who have died fighting this virus. 

In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson famously wrote, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Soldiers have fought for our liberty, but our calendars lack a holiday on which to honor doctors, nurses and the many other health-care professionals who are fighting for our first unalienable right: life.

During a time when our entire futures depend on the work that our health-care workers do, we must give them all the credit they deserve, and much, much more.

The following is a list (as of May 13) of the known health-care workers around the country who have fallen to COVID-19 and will not be forgotten.

Ashraf Abdo, 60, general practitioner, New York City

John Abruzzo, 62, registered nurse, Huntington, New York

Divinia “Debbie” Accad, 72, registered nurse, John Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit

Romy Agtarap, 61, registered nurse, emergency medicine, New York-Presbyterian Columbia, New York City

Felicia Ailende, 67, registered nurse, BRIA of Forest Edge, Chicago

Nancy Ajemian, 60, family medicine, Beaumont Hospital, Grosse Pointe, Michigan

Quen Agbor Ako, 53, nursing home nurse, Randallstown, Maryland 

Gary Alberto, age unknown, nursing home nurse, Andover, New Jersey

Tamajin Ali, 49, nursing supervisor, Philadelphia 

Lori Alioa, 56, health-care social worker, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Larrice Anderson, 46, nurse, New Orleans East Hospital, New Orleans

Nerissa Armesto, 64, nephrology, renal dietician hemodialysis, Rogosin Institute NFB Brooklyn East, Brooklyn, New York

Yaw Asante, age unknown, registered nurse, NYC Health+Hospitals/Lincoln, New York City

Madhvi Aya, 61, physician assistant, emergency medicine, Woodhull Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York

Earl Bailey, 45, registered nurse, Broward County, Florida

Celia Yap Banago, 65, registered nurse, Research Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri

Jenni Claire Bartolome, 45, registered nurse, Emerson Health and Rehabilitation Center, Emerson, New Jersey

Alex Bass, 53, physician assistant, Brooklyn, New York

Doug Bass, 64, medical director, drug and alcohol treatment, New York City

Don Batayola, 41, physical therapist, New Jersey

Jeffrey Baumbach, 57, resident nurse, St. Joseph’s Medical Center, Stockton, California

Andres Benitez, age unknown, food and nutrition services, Holy Name Medical Center, Teaneck, New Jersey

Theresa E. Berbano, 59, ED nurse, Montefiore Health, Bronx, New York

Angeline Bernadel, 52, nurse, West River Healthcare Center, Milford, Connecticut

Idris Bey, 60, emergency medical technician instructor coordinator, FDNY, New York City

Terry Billingham, age unknown, emergency medical technician (retired), MONOC EMS, Clinton, New Jersey

Billy Birmingham, 69, emergency medical technician, Kansas City, Missouri

Dorothy Boles, 65, registered nurse, Greenwood, Mississippi

Joseph A. Bonjiorno, 78, psychiatrist, St. Joseph Hospital (affiliated), Chicago 

Mark Leighton Bowen, 54, registered nurse, Highland Care Nursing Home, Queens, New York

Sean D. Boynes, 49, pharmacist, Greenbelt, Maryland

Kenneth Bradshaw, 64, director of facilities (retired), University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee

Derik Braswell, 57, hospital staff, Elmhurst Medical Center, New York City

Lorna Breen, 49, emergency department medical director, New York-Presbyterian Allen Hospital, New York City (died by suicide)

Joyce Brown, registered nurse and nurse manager, LIJ Forest Hills, Forest Hills, New York

Brittany Bruner-Ringo, 32, nurse, Silverado Beverly Place, Beverly Hills, California

Patrick Buchannan, 33, certified nursing assistant, Indianapolis 

Araceli Buendia Ilagan, 63, ICU nurse, Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami 

Kevin Bundy, 22, paramedic, Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital, Darby Borough, Pennsylvania

Maria Guia Cabillon, registered nurse, Kings County Hospital Center, Brooklyn, New York

Patrick Cain, 52, ICU nurse, Flint, Michigan

Luis Caldera-Nieves, 63, ob/gyn, Miami 

John P. Careccia, age unknown, chief and training director, Woodbridge Township Ambulance and Rescue Squad, Woodbridge, New Jersey

Rafael Cargill, 60, hospital staff, medical records, Brooklyn Hospital Center, Fort Greene, Brooklyn, New York

Priscilla Carrow, 65, hospital staff, Elmhurst Medical Center, New York City

Karen Cashin Carmello, 56, licensed practical nurse, Long Island, New York

Evelyn Caro, nurse, 69, Holy Cross Hospital, Silver Spring, Maryland

Paul Cary, 66, paramedic (volunteer), Ambulnz, New York City

Monica Echeverri Casarez, 49, surgical technician, Dearborn, Michigan

Ricardo Castaneda, 64, psychiatrist, New York City

Rosary Celaya Castro-Olega, 63, registered nurse, Los Angeles

Charlie Chin Song Chen, age unknown, family medicine/general practitioner, Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center, New York City

Marino Chiodi, 70, ophthalmologist, Bergamo, Italy

Luis Augusto Chirighini Bicudo, 74, orthopedist, Santos, Brazil

Mary Virginia Howell Christopher, 97, registered nurse, Army nurse during World War II, New Orleans 

Reza Chowdhury, 58, internist and infectious diseases physician, Westchester Medical Healthcare, Bronx, New York

Esequiel “Zeke” Cisneros, 64, psychiatric registered nurse, Eastern State Hospital, Medical Lake, Washington

John Cofrancesco, 52, nursing home administrator, Family of Caring at Montclair, New Jersey

Roy Coleman, 64, emergency medical technician, Shreveport, Louisiana

Jeannie Danker, 60, director of radiology, OSU Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio

Bishop Bruce Edward Davis, 57, shift leader, Central State Hospital Forensics, Milledgeville, Georgia

Jenniffer Davis, age unknown, care center nurse, Meramec Bluffs Care Center, Ballwin, Missouri

Leo Dela Cruz, age unknown, geriatric psychiatrist, Carepoint Hospital, Jersey City, New Jersey

Elizabeth B. DelMundo, 59, nurse, Dover, New Jersey

Danielle Dicenso, 33, ICU nurse, Palmetto General Hospital, Hialeah, Florida

Solomon Donald, 41, emergency medical technician, Trinitas Regional Medical Center, Elizabeth, New Jersey

Daisy Doronila, age unknown, nurse, Hudson County Jail, Kearny, New Jersey

Maurice Dotson, 51, certified nursing assistant, Austin, Texas

Cathy Drouin, 69, social worker, Palm Center, Chelmsford, Massachusetts

Elizabeth Edwards, age unknown, phlebotomist, CarolinaEast Medical Center, New Bern, North Carolina

Wayne Edwards, 61, hospital staff, Elmhurst Hospital Center, New York City

Obinna Chibueze Eke, age unknown, nurse, Irvington, New Jersey

Jeffrey Escher, 72, physician, geriatrician, New York, Westchester County, New York

Lisa Ewald, 54, nurse, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit 

John Ferrarella, 70, firefighter, Wayne Fire Company 3, Wayne, New Jersey

Jessie Ferreras, 55, primary care physician, Waldwick, New Jersey

Mike Field, 59, emergency medical technician, Valley Stream, New York

Barbara Finch, 63, licensed practical nurse, Southern Virginia Regional Medical Center, Emporia, Virginia

Chris Firlit, 37, PGY6 oral-maxillofacial surgery chief resident, Detroit, (presumed)

Louis Edouard Fontaine, doctor, Brooklyn, New York

James Footit, 56, radiology, Baystate Hospital, Springfield, Massachusetts

Octavia Foxworth, 80, nurse, St. Clair Shores, Michigan

Devin Dale Francis, 44, radiology technician, Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami 

Patricia Frieson, 61, nurse (retired), Chicago 

Clair Marie Fuqua, 28, receptionist, pediatrics, Pineville, Louisiana

Frank Gabrin, 60, emergency medicine physician, New York City

Jay Galst, age unknown, ophthalmologist, New York City

Deborah Gatewood, phlebotomist, Beaumont Health Farmington Hills, Farmington Hills, Michigan

Scott Geiger, age unknown, emergency medical technician, Atlantic Health System, Morristown, New Jersey

Michael Giuliano, 64, doctor, Mountainside Medical Group, Nutley, New Jersey

James T. Goodrich, 73, neurosurgeon; director of the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Montefiore Health System; professor of clinical neurological surgery, pediatrics, plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City

Kevin Graiani, 56, nurse practitioner, Garnerville, New York

Ali Dennis Guillermo, 44, ICU registered nurse, Long Island Memorial Hospital, Patchogue, New York

Alexander Gusev, 57, medical technician, Reno, Nevada

Krist Angielen Castro Guzman, 35, nurse, Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital, Chicago 

Rose Harrison, age unknown, long-term care nurse, Hamilton, Alabama

Capt. Douglas Linn Hickok (U.S. Army), 57, physician assistant, East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

Harvey Hirsch, 68, pediatrics, CHEMED, Lakewood, New Jersey

Greg Hodge, 59, emergency medical technician, New York City

James House, 40, registered nurse, Omni Continuing Care, Detroit

Alex Hsu, 67, internal medicine, Northwest Medical Center, Margate, Florida

Steven J. Huber, 62, orthodontist, Jefferson City, Missouri

Aaron Hughes, age unknown, mental health technician, New Orleans

Aleyamma John, 65, registered nurse, NYC Health+Hospitals/Queens Hospital Center, New York City

Kious Kelly, 48, ER nurse, Mount Sinai West, New York City

Donald Kennedy, 88, neurobiologist (retired); former president, Stanford University; former chief of U.S. FDA, Redwood City, California

Priya Khanna, 43, nephrologist, Khanna Nephrology, Glen Ridge, New Jersey

Curwin King, 59, hospital attendant, Brooklyn

Maria Krier, age unknown, nurse, Life Care Center of Nashoba Valley, Littleton, Massachusetts

Robert Lancaster, 98, psychiatrist, New Orleans 

Kevin Leiva, 24, emergency medical technician, Dover, New Jersey

Mortimer Levin, 99, physician, Detroit 

Roger Liddell, 64, CCU supply chain manager, Flint, Michigan

Theresa Lococo, 68, pediatric nurse, Kings County Hospital, Brooklyn, New York

Lydia Lopez, 63, laundry services, Samaritas Senior Living, Saginaw, Michigan

James Mahoney, age unknown, doctor, pulmonary/critical care medicine, University Hospital of Brooklyn/SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York

William Mantell, age unknown, pharmacist, Variety Drugs, Rochdale Village, Queens, New York

Michael “Mike” Marceaux, age unknown, ER nurse, Shreveport, Louisiana

Celia Lardizabal Marcos, 61, registered nurse, Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, Los Angeles 

Reuven Maroth, emergency medical technician, Hackensack, New Jersey

Christopher David Matus, 46, medical examiner investigator, Swartz Creek, Michigan

David Martin, age unknown, paramedic, American Medical Response, Natchez, Mississippi

Jorge Mateo, age unknown, respiratory therapist, Coral Gables Hospital, Miami 

Janine Meritet, 59, patient care assistant, Smithtown, New York

Rabbi Yaakov Meltzer, 60, physician assistant, Brooklyn, New York

Cynthia “Chi” Mendoza, 68, nurse (retired) and hospital volunteer, Norfolk, Virginia

Hazel P. Mijares, 66, licensed practical nurse, Amsterdam Nursing Home, New York City

Anjanette Miller, age unknown, nurse, Chicago 

Francis “Frankie” Molinari, 70, internal medicine physician, Clara Maass Medical Center, Belleville, New Jersey

Matthew Moore, 52, radiologic technologist, GoHealth Urgent Care, Staten Island, New York

Rueven Morath, age unknown, emergency medical technician, Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Hackensack, New Jersey

Ferdinando Moretti, 73, painting-crew foreman, Mount Sinai South Nassau, Oceanside, New York

William “Bill” Murdock, 63, MRI technologist, Miami 

John F. Murray, 92, pulmonary and critical care physician, San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco 

Prea Nankieshore, 34, emergency room unit clerk, LIJ Forest Hills, New York 

Kimberly Napper, 62, registered nurse, Madison, Mississippi

Darioush Nasseri, orthopedic surgeon (retired), Good Samaritan Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland

Bill Nauta, 72, emergency medical technician, New Jersey

Paul Novicki, age unknown, critical care paramedic, Detroit 

Freda Ocran, 50, psychiatric nurse, Jacobi Medical Center, New York City

Natasha Ott, 39, social worker, CrescentCare, New Orleans, Louisiana

Joyce Pacubas-Le Blanc, 53, nurse, neuroscience ICU, UIC Medical Center, Chicago 

Angelo Patsalis, 63, family physician, Henry Ford Medical Group, Detroit 

Tomas Pattugalan, 70, internal medicine physician, Queens, New York

Bredy Pierre-Louis, 74, family medicine/general practitioner, Brooklyn, New York

Nisar Quraishi, 74, internal medicine, clinical assistant professor, NYU Langone, New York City

Wendell Quinn, 51, public-safety officer, Hurley Medical Center, Flint, Michigan

John Redd, 63, firefighter/emergency medical technician, FDNY, New York City

Tina Reeves, 58, licensed practical nurse, Pickaway Correction Institution, Orient, Ohio

Mark Respler, 66, urologist, Brooklyn, New York

Burton “Bud” Rose, 77, nephrologist (retired), Creator of UpToDate, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston 

Nickeen Ross, 45, maintenance, Advantage Living Center Roseville, Roseville, Michigan

Liana Sa, age unknown, emergency medical technician, Newark, New Jersey

Charlie Safley, 78, dermatologist, Memphis, Tennessee

Peter Sakas, 67, veterinarian, Niles Animal Hospital, Northbrook, Illinois

Barry Sakowitz, 75, doctor, internal and pulmonary medicine, Paramus, New Jersey

Joel Baltazar Salinas, 63, diagnostic radiologist, Mexico City, Mexico

Mario Salonga, 59, physical therapist, Mount Sinai South Nassau, Oceanside, New York

Elliott Samet, 69, pediatrician, Passaic, New Jersey

John Schoffstall, 41, firefighter/emergency medical technician, Terre Haute, Indiana

Ellyn Schreiner, 68, registered nurse, Crossroads Hospice, Dayton, Ohio

Stephen Schwartz, 78, pathologist, Seattle 

Gary Sclar, 66, neurologist, Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens, New York City

Richard Seaberry, 63, emergency medical technician, FDNY, New York City

Jose “Jun” Islani Allapitan Sepal Jr., 60, supervisor, Sterile Processing Department, Livingston, New Jersey

Alvin Simmons, 54, environmental services worker, Rochester General Hospital, Rochester, New York

Noel Sinkiat, 64, registered nurse, Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Howard University Hospital, Washington, D.C.

Susan Sisgundo, 50, registered nurse, Neonatal ICU, Bellevue Hospital, New York City

Thomas Soto, 60, radiology clerk, Woodhull Hospital, Brooklyn, New York

Joshua Suzuki, 78, ob/gyn, Seattle 

Robert Tarrant, age unknown, registered nurse and EMS educator, RWJBarnabas Health, New Jersey 

Arthur Sydeco Tayengco, 81, ob/gyn, University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas 

Anthony Thomas, age unknown, paramedic, Emergency Medical Services, Brooklyn, New York

Vianna Thompson, 52, registered nurse, Intensive Care Unit, Reno, Nevada

Israel Tolentino, 33, emergency medical technician, Passaic, New Jersey

Arthur Turetsky, doctor, pulmonary and critical care, Bridgeport Hospital, Bridgeport, Connecticut

Ronald Verrier, 59, trauma surgeon, Bronx, New York

Jesus Villaluz, 75, patient transport services, Holy Name Medical Center, Teaneck, New Jersey

James Villecco, 55, ambulance mechanic, FDNY, New York City

Richie Villena, 44, physical therapist, New York City

Valeria Viveros, 21, nursing assistant, Extended Care Hospital of Riverside, Riverside, California

Robert Weber, age unknown, EMT and firefighter, Middletown Fire Department, Middletown, New Jersey

Barry Webber, 67, general surgery, Mount Sinai Hospital, Queens, New York 

Patricia Wilke, 63, pharmacist, Winslow, Arizona

Diedre Wilkes, 42, mammogram technician, Piedmont Newnan Hospital, Newnan, Georgia

Judy Wilson-Griffin, age unknown, perinatal clinical nurse specialist, SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri

Rebecca Yee, age unknown, nurse, New York City 

Sina Zaim, 68, physician, electrophysiology, Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, New Jersey

Jesus Zambrano, 54, pediatrician, Mount Sinai South Nassau, Oceanside, New York

Robert Zerman, 49, EMT and firefighter, Pioneer Hose Company #1, Robesonia, Pennsylvania

Jack Zoller, 91, ob/gyn, New Orleans