Originally posted by Kaiser Health News. Kaiser Health News is a nonprofit news service covering health issues. It is an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente. Lost On The Frontline --------------------- The Staffs of KHN and The Guardian America's health care workers are dying. In some states, medical personnel account for as many as 20% of known coronavirus cases. They tend to patients in hospitals, treating them, serving them food and cleaning their rooms. Others at risk work in nursing homes or are employed as home health aides. "Lost on the Frontline," a collaboration between KHN and The Guardian, has identified 729 such workers who likely died of COVID-19 after helping patients during the pandemic. We have published profiles for 131 workers whose deaths have been confirmed by our reporters. Some cases are shrouded in secrecy. Our team contacts family members, employers and medical examiners to independently confirm each death. Many hospitals have been overwhelmed and workers sometimes have lacked protective equipment or suffer from underlying health conditions that make them vulnerable to the highly infectious virus. In the chaos, COVID casualties might otherwise get overlooked. This project [1]aims to document the lives of U.S. health workers who die of COVID-19, and to understand why so many are falling victim to the pandemic. A Nurse From Cameroon Who Liked To Sing And Dance Quen Agbor Ako Age: 53Occupation: Registered nursePlace of Work: FutureCare Old Court nursing home in Randallstown, MarylandDate of Death: April 10, 2020 Quen Ako [2]was known to wear stylish, bright clothing and break out in song and dance. Posting to an online memorial, friends, family and co-workers described a lively, compassionate woman. "My memory of you is that of a warm person, one that will break out in songs of joy," one friend wrote. Another described laughing at an inside joke with Ako just weeks before her death. "Did I for one second think that I would never hear that resounding, hearty laughter again?" Born in Cameroon, Ako worked as a guidance counselor and teacher before coming to the U.S., where she earned her nursing degree. She worked for a chain of nursing homes and rehabilitation centers that saw massive COVID-19 outbreaks. Ako's family declined to be interviewed for this article but [3]told a local news station that she had died of COVID-19. The Guardian independently verified Ako's cause of death with one of her former co-workers. Ako's employer did not respond to requests for comment about her death. -- [4]Anna Jean Kaiser, The Guardian | Published June 30, 2020 Firefighter Who Lit Up Others' Lives (Courtesy of Richard Whitehead) Mario Araujo Age: 49Occupation: Firefighter and emergency medical technicianPlace of Work: Chicago Fire Department Truck Company 25Date of Death: April 7, 2020 Despite fighting fires and treating the injured for nearly 20 years, Mario Araujo remained goofy and light. He had an uncanny ability to pry open roofs and pop open doors, said Richard Whitehead, a fellow firefighter. But he also loved playing virtual slot machines and cracking jokes. "He was always kidding around. You could never take him serious," Whitehead said. "But when it came time to go to work, he was just always ready to go." He was the first Chicago firefighter to die from the coronavirus, the department confirmed. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot honored him on Twitter: "Mario selflessly dedicated his life to protecting our communities." Araujo approached his relationship with his girlfriend, Rosa Castillo, 48, and her son, Leo, 7, with the same zeal. He was attentive, picking up Leo from school and giving him a tablet computer so they could speak when he traveled. "He taught my son a lot, even if they didn't share the same blood," Castillo said. Castillo told Leo that God took Araujo to ease his suffering. She said her child believes he is an angel: "He hugs me and says, 'Mom, I can feel Daddy with us.'" -- [5]Carmen Heredia Rodriguez, Kaiser Health News | Published June 30, 2020 Ghanaian Nurse Made 'A Deep Impact Across The Planet' (Courtesy of Kojoh Atta) Bernard Atta Age: 61Occupation: Registered nursePlace of Work: Correctional Reception Center in Orient, OhioDate of Death: May 17, 2020 In December 2019, Kojoh Atta returned to his father's hometown in Offinso, Ghana. Kojoh arrived alone, but everybody knew his father, Bernard Atta. As a nurse in Ohio's prison system, Bernard worked overtime so he could afford to ship "drums of clothes" across the Atlantic to the Takoradi port. Inside were sneakers, sandals and Ralph Lauren polos for cousins. "Always with stripes," Kojoh said, "so the boys knew they were special." The regard for his father made Kojoh realize "there are countless unsung heroes making a deep impact across the planet." In New York last summer, the two visited the United Nations to pay respects to a portrait of their hero, Kofi Annan, a former U.N. secretary-general from Ghana. They cried. "Look at this man, and look at us," Bernard told his son. "We came from nothing, but we are here. We are making it." As COVID-19 ravaged Ohio, Kojoh urged his father to leave work, worried about inadequate protective gear. Bernard refused, citing "his duty," Kojoh said. "PPE was, and continues to be available to staff," a prison spokesperson said. Bernard showed symptoms and tested positive for COVID-19, but he remained home, fearing the hospital bills. Awakened by a flurry of WhatsApp messages, Kojoh learned his father died, leaving behind his wife, three other children and grandchildren. "He never could live for himself," Kojoh said, "but he's finally on vacation, in eternal paradise." -- [6]Eli Cahan | Published June 30, 2020 On Eve Of Her Retirement, Nurse Took Ill (Courtesy of Kristin Carbone) Barbara Birchenough Age: 65Occupation: Registered nursePlace of Work: Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, New JerseyDate of Death: April 15, 2020 Barbara Birchenough consistently mailed cards to her family and friends, for birthdays, holidays or just as a pleasant surprise. Her youngest son, Matthew Birchenough, said it reflected her personality: quiet, thoughtful and kind. Birchenough began training as a nurse right after high school and worked for 46 years. Her retirement was planned for April 4, with a big party to follow. On March 24, she came home from work and told Matthew that four floors of the hospital had been taken over with COVID patients. The next day, she began to cough. In text messages with her oldest daughter that morning, she conveyed that protective gear was lacking at the hospital. "The ICU nurses were making gowns out of garbage bags," Barbara texted. "Dad is going to pick up large garbage bags for me just in case." When Birchenough returned to the hospital, though, it was as a patient. Her eldest daughter, Kristin Carbone, said she tested positive for COVID shortly before she died. A Clara Maass spokesperson said the hospital has been compliant with state and CDC guidelines for protective gear. -- [7]Christina Jewett, Kaiser Health News | Published June 30, 2020 First COVID Casualty Among Staff At His Hospital, Nurse 'Had No Enemies' Patrick cain and his wife, Kate (Courtesy of Kelly Indish) Patrick Cain Age: 52Occupation: Registered nursePlace of Work: McLaren Flint Hospital in Flint, MichiganDate of Death: April 4, 2020 Patrick Cain was a dedicated nurse, always "close to his patients," said Teresa Ciesielski, a nurse and former colleague. "The guy had no enemies." Cain was from Canada -- a heritage he was especially proud of, Ciesielski recalled. He met his wife, Kate, in 1994, when they both worked in Texas. They had a son. "He was an amazing father," Ciesiekski said. "He was always talking about his kid." Cain's ICU work meant caring for patients awaiting COVID test results. Some days, he worked outside the room where "suspected COVID" patients were being treated. The hospital hadn't provided protective gear, despite his requests, according to Kelly Indish, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 875, his union. On March 26, he texted Indish. He was worried he had been exposed to the virus the week before, and he hadn't had a mask. "McLaren screwed us," he wrote. A hospital spokesperson said employees received appropriate gear based on government guidelines. But those rules didn't mandate N95s -- known to block viruses -- for workers who, like Cain, were providing care but weren't performing aerosolizing treatments, which can release virus particles into the air. COVID-19 came with a fever, loss of appetite, dry cough, nausea. Cain was the hospital's first employee known to die of the illness. -- [8]Shefali Luthra, Kaiser Health News | Published June 30, 2020 Grateful Immigrant Who Loved Thanksgiving Catered To Chinese Community (Courtesy of the Hsu family) Alex Hsu Age: 67Occupation: Internal medicine physicianPlace of Work: Hsu & Loy Medical Group in Margate, FloridaDate of Death: March 24, 2020 Alex Hsu loved Thanksgiving. Sitting down with his family for the holiday feast, Hsu always spoke for at least 10 minutes about how grateful he was to be in America. Hsu "didn't really come from much," said Zach Hsu, his son. Hsu fled Communist China, first immigrating to Hong Kong and then to Hawaii, where he attended medical school. He served his residency in Kentucky and, eventually, landed in Broward County, Florida, where he practiced for decades. As one of the few Chinese-speaking internal medicine doctors in the area, Hsu would see "a crazy amount of patients, and he never complained about it," Zach said. As Hsu aged, he turned to Buddhism and meditation and wrote loving notes to his children as they left for college. It is not clear how Hsu contracted COVID-19. He had traveled to New York weeks before falling ill but also was seeing patients who could have been carrying the virus. Hsu worked in a private practice with privileges at Northwest Medical Center. His staff did not return requests for comment. Hsu died at the same hospital where he had cared for patients. -- [9]Sarah Jane Tribble, Kaiser Health News | Published June 30, 2020 Hospital Supply Manager Lacked Protective Gear For Himself (Courtesy of Bill Sohmer) Roger Liddell Age: 64Occupation: Supply managerPlace of Work: McLaren Flint hospital in Flint, MichiganDate of Death: April 10, 2020 Roger Liddell was a family man. One of nine siblings, he frequently visited his extended family back in Mississippi. He was involved in his church and loved cooking, Westerns and the Chicago Bears. After high school, Liddell joined the Marine Corps. Upon finishing his service, he moved to Chicago, working for the U.S. Postal Service. Finally, he settled down in Michigan, working at McLaren Flint for almost 20 years. His job took him all over the hospital. And as COVID cases climbed, he was worried. Liddell requested protective gear from his hospital, said Bill Sohmer, president of AFSCME Local 2650, which represents non-technical employees at the hospital. Since he didn't treat patients, he was denied -- even though his work took him to floors with COVID-positive patients. In an email, a hospital spokesperson said McLaren Flint had followed government guidelines to ensure employees received sufficient protective gear. On March 30, Liddell posted to Facebook: He had worked the previous week in the ICU and critical care unit, without PPE. "Pray for me God is still in control," he wrote. Liddell tested positive for COVID-19. He was put on a ventilator but died, leaving behind his wife, four children, two stepchildren and 11 grandchildren. -- [10]Shefali Luthra, Kaiser Health News | Published June 30, 2020 A Doctor And A Poet Who 'Wasn't Done' (Courtesy of Adam Oglesbee) John Robert Oglesbee Age: 80Occupation: Family physicianPlace of Work: CCOM Medical Group Cardiology Clinic in Muskogee, OklahomaDate of Death: April 26, 2020 A bushel of corn or meat from the family cow was how some of John Oglesbee's clients paid him. No matter, he always put his clients first. "He loved small-town Oklahoma," said grandson Adam Oglesbee. For nearly 30 years, John Oglesbee had his clinic outside of Ada until the mid-90s, when he began fill-in work at rural emergency rooms for a time before ending up in his hometown. An avid reader of books on every topic, he would always return to the Bible. He was a churchgoer and deacon for many years, often guest-preaching. Wherever he went, Oglesbee wrote poems, whether on a napkin or the back of an envelope, stuffing them in books within his vast home library. He saw patients until he contracted COVID-19. On March 19, he went into home isolation. He tested positive March 23. "He told me when I last saw him at his home through the window, 'Dammit, I wasn't done,'" Adam said. "He was a doctor until the day he died." Multiple attempts to reach CCOM Medical Group for comment went unanswered. -- Eriech Tapia, University of Oklahoma | Published June 30, 2020 Big-Hearted Nurse Feared For The Safety Of Those Who Cared For Her (Courtesy of Lori Rodriguez) Sandra Oldfield Age: 53Occupation: Registered nursePlace of Work: Kaiser Permanente Fresno Medical Center in Fresno, CaliforniaDate of Death: May 25, 2020 Sandra Oldfield had a big heart and couldn't say no to anyone, her sister Lori Rodriguez said. She had no children of her own but loved to spoil and care for her nieces and nephews. She was a nurse who would listen to others' problems. And she could amplify those concerns for management without losing her composure, Rodriguez said. Oldfield had concerns of her own in mid-March while caring for critically ill patients in the telemetry unit. She was upset that she was given a surgical mask -- not nearly as protective as an N95 respirator -- to treat patients as COVID-19 was spreading. Her concern was on point: She cared for a patient whose initial symptoms didn't meet the well-known COVID profile, but who tested positive for the virus. "I feel if she had an N95, she would be here today," Rodriguez said. "I don't want to see anyone else lose their life like my sister did." Kaiser Fresno said it has followed state and federal guidelines on protective gear. (KHN is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.) Rodriguez said her sister resisted going to the hospital as her symptoms worsened, reluctant to expose paramedics or hospital staffers to the virus. When Oldfield agreed that an ambulance should be called, she wanted the paramedics to be advised to take every precaution. -- [11]Christina Jewett, Kaiser Health News | Published June 30, 2020 The 'Life Of The Party' Who Bonded With Patients (Courtesy of Christina Ravanes) John Abruzzo Age: 62Occupation: Registered nursePlace of Work: Huntington Hospital in Huntington, New YorkDate of Death: April 2, 2020 Long Island is where John Abruzzo was born, raised, worked and died. The second of 14 children, he was the "life of the party," said his daughter, Christina Ravanes. He loved poker and fishing. He had a son as well, and three grandchildren. Abruzzo developed strong friendships with patients, said Susan Knoepffler, the hospital's chief nursing officer. "He had a winning smile. He was kind of a teddy bear," she said. He tested positive for COVID-19 in late March and died five days later. "I went from seeing my dad at a wedding," Ravanes said, "to the next time I see him, it's ashes." John's wife, Mary Abruzzo, died eight days later, on her birthday, Ravanes said, likely from complications related to Type 1 diabetes (she had not been exposed to John when he was infected). As of June 18, no other nurses at Huntington hospital had died of COVID-19, Knoepffler said, adding that the facility was well prepared and never ran out of supplies. What's missing, she said, is Abruzzo. -- James Faris, James Madison University | Published June 26, 2020 A Nurse And Pastor Who Tended To Bodies And Souls (Courtesy of the Boles family) Dorothy Boles Age: 65Occupation: Licensed practical nursePlace of Work: Greenwood Leflore Hospital in Greenwood, MississippiDate of Death: April 3, 2020 Dorothy Boles had two callings: one as a healer and the other as an ordained minister. "Mama Boles," as she was known, was a counselor and caretaker, said longtime friend and colleague Glory Boyd. Boles mentored aspiring ministers at First Chosen Tabernacle Church and welcomed recovering patients into her home. "She went over, above and beyond," said Boyd, the hospital's chief nursing officer. "She cared for other people before she cared for herself." When patients leaving the hospital didn't have the means to recover on their own, Boles opened her home to them, her son Marcus Banks[12]told a local newspaper. Most stayed a few days. One young man stayed five years. "Once she nursed him back to health, he just hung around," Banks told the paper. "She just felt that nobody could take care of him like she could." Boles was admitted March 22 to the hospital where she had worked for 42 years. She was among the first four people to die of COVID-19 in Leflore County. The hospital renamed the nurses' station in her memory. -- [13]Michaela Gibson Morris | Published June 26, 2020 Pediatric Nurse Wore 'Minions' Scrubs And Connected With Children (Courtesy of Carlos Dominguez) Karla Dominguez Age: 33Occupation: Registered nursePlace of Work: Providence Children's Hospital in El Paso, TexasDate of Death: April 19, 2020 Karla Dominguez's medical "practicing" began at a young age, with a doctor's bag she got one Christmas. "Every time I came home, she'd say, 'Let me listen to your heart; let me see how you're doing,'" recalled her father, Carlos Dominguez. She dreamed of becoming a pediatric neurosurgeon. Hurdles getting into medical school dampened her spirits. Then she pursued nursing, a field in which she blossomed. "She was so full of joy, so happy with her work," said Dominguez, a doctor. She wore scrubs with cartoon Minions and managed to connect with even the most challenging patients, her father said. A few years into her nursing career, she considered reapplying to medical school, but ultimately decided to stick with nursing because it allowed for more interaction with patients. In early April, she began experiencing excruciating headaches -- symptoms that have since been associated with COVID-19. She visited urgent care and the emergency room and was twice denied a coronavirus test. She was eventually hospitalized. Tests revealed she had the virus and CT scans showed brain hemorrhaging. Dominguez doesn't know how his daughter contracted the virus but suspects she may have contracted it at work. Providence did not respond to a request for comment. -- Maureen O'Hagan | Published June 26, 2020 Passionate EMT And Volunteer Firefighter Was 'Constantly On Call' (Courtesy of Shana Konek) Jeremy Emerich Age: 40Occupation: Emergency medical technicianPlace of Work: Lehigh Valley Health Network MedEvac in Center Valley, PennsylvaniaDate of Death: May 21, 2020 Jeremy Emerich and his girlfriend, Shana Konek, made a pact: Home is home. Work is work. They set aside time to do things they loved, like watching "The Big Bang Theory" or walking their two beagle-mix puppies. "Unless we scheduled it in, it wasn't happening," Konek said. An Army veteran who served in Iraq, Emerich "was passionate and loved a challenge," Konek said. When he wasn't taking emergency shifts, he volunteered for the Exeter Township Fire Department. "He was constantly on call, always lending a helping hand," said Konek, an emergency medical services dispatcher. If families of patients were in shock, he'd comfort them -- sometimes in Spanish, to his colleagues' surprise. Emerich worked long shifts caring for COVID-19 patients across the Lehigh Valley, for which he was equipped with adequate protective gear, Konek said. His employer could not be reached for comment. On April 25, Emerich's appetite began to wane and he complained of "a little fever." Konek took his temperature: 104 degrees. A week later, he was in the ICU. On May 8, Emerich told Konek he was signing some paperwork and would call her back. "I never got that call," Konek said. -- [14]Eli Cahan | Published June 26, 2020 He Bridged Cultures With Cooking And Camaraderie (Courtesy of Diana Ese Odighizuwa) Paul Odighizuwa Age: 61Occupation: Food services coordinatorPlace of Work: Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland, OregonDate of Death: May 12, 2020 When Paul Odighizuwa left Nigeria in 1987, he enrolled at Portland State University to study visual arts and began a decades-long career at OHSU, a large teaching hospital. He became a pillar of the area's close-knit Nigerian community. "Paul was such a go-to guy," said Ezekiel Ette, a friend. "If you needed something done, Paul would do it, and do it graciously." As a student, he helped paint a prominent mural depicting African and African American heroes -- it stood for decades inPortland's King neighborhood. Odighizuwa, who worked in the hospital's food services department, cooked traditional Nigerian dishes at home -- as well as American-style pancakes with "crispy edges," his daughter, Diana, said. In mid-March, his union complained that management in Odighizuwa's department was not allowing proper social distancing. Eleven people in the department became ill, and Odighizuwa died. OHSU did not respond to a request for comment. -- Maureen O'Hagan | Published June 26, 2020 She Answered A Calling And Helped Fellow Native Americans (Courtesy of Charmayne Bedonie) Barbara Bedonie Age: 56Occupation: Certified medication aidePlace of Work: Cedar Ridge Inn in Farmington, New MexicoDate of Death: May 16, 2020 Barbara Bedonie was happily raising three children when she realized she wanted to do more. She enrolled to become a certified nursing assistant, which turned out to be a calling. "She was truly happy working," her daughter Charmayne Bedonie said. "I've been hearing so many stories from families she's helped." For 17 years, Barbara worked at a nursing home and received awards for perfect attendance. Management admired her work ethic enough to pay for her to become a certified medication aide. She was Navajo and could speak to residents at the home in their Indigenous tongue. "I know she helped a lot of people just by speaking the language," Charmayne said. The home had reported a number of COVID cases. Bedonie tested negative for the virus repeatedly, but, overwhelmed by fatigue, she knew something was wrong. She was hospitalized and finally a test confirmed she had the coronavirus, Charmayne said. Charmayne expressed praise for the hospital and the nursing home. Her employer did not respond to questions about protective gear and said only, "Cedar Ridge Inn misses our beloved colleague very much." Charmayne said families have been sharing stories about her mother. "They say she was a beautiful soul, inside and out," she said. -- [15]Maureen O'Hagan | Published June 23, 2020 Travel Nurse Was 'A Country Boy At Heart' Denny Gilliam and his wife, Amanda Marr Gilliam (Courtesy of Amanda Marr Gilliam) Denny Gilliam Age: 53Occupation: Travel nursePlace of Work: NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, via TrustaffDate of Death: May 7, 2020 Amanda Marr Gilliam was on a cigarette break when Denny Gilliam threw that first glance. "Those blue eyes caught me," she said. "The very next day, we started dating." Gilliam treasured family time, like movie nights, when the kids would pile into the couple's king-size bed with chips and French onion dip. "A country boy at heart," Gilliam loved the outdoors, Amanda said. He took the family hunting for ginseng, digging for frogs and camping throughout the Appalachian Mountains near their home in Pelham, Tennessee. He and Amanda liked to fish in Lake Chickamauga for crappie and bluegill. Gilliam was a committed nurse -- it was his second career, after serving in the military. In April, when he learned New York hospitals were short-staffed in the pandemic, he felt obliged to serve. In early May, when Amanda didn't hear from him for "what felt like eternity," she called 35 hotels near the hospital before finding where he'd checked in. A private investigator confirmed: He had died days earlier of COVID-19. "My worst fear came true," Amanda said. -- [16]Eli Cahan | Published June 23, 2020 'He Explored Life Without Restrictions' (Courtesy of Monique Bertolotti) Gianmarco Bertolotti Age: 42Occupation: MasonPlace of Work: Lenox Hill Hospital in New York CityDate of Death: April 22, 2020 Decades ago, two girls asked Gianmarco Bertolotti to the senior prom. Even as a teenager, Bertolotti was "such a sweet soul," said Monique Bertolotti, his sister. Instead of rejecting either one, he skipped prom. As a child visiting grandparents in Rapallo, Italy, Bertolotti would invariably return from town with "focaccia, espresso and stories of the friends he'd made." As an adult, the man known as "G-Funk" had "a special way about him," Monique said, "forg[ing] a lasting bond with everyone he met." An avid traveler, he'd visited New Orleans and Japan in recent years. "He explored life without restrictions," Monique said. A mason, Bertolotti took the subway from his home in Queens every morning to help repair the hospital's ceilings, floors, soap dispensers and sharps collectors. But on April 13, he called his sister because he was coughing up blood after carrying a case of seltzer up three flights of stairs. The next morning, he went to the emergency room. A week later, he was dead. "Protecting our employees ... has been our priority from day one," the hospital said in a statement. -- [17]Eli Cahan | Published June 19, 2020 An Unflappable Nurse Who Loved Playing Tour Guide (Courtesy of Michelle Helminski) Edwin Montanano Age: 73Occupation: Registered nursePlace of Work: Wellpath at Hudson County Correctional Center in Kearny, New JerseyDate of Death: April 5, 2020 Edwin Montanano went to the U.S. Open every year. He loved Broadway