City officials, FilAm community hail team of nurses who assisted in the care of Ebola doctor
Dr. Craig Spencer embraces one of his doctors, while Mayor Bill de Blasio and FilAm nurses applaud. Photos by Troi Santos
More FilAm nurses and staff are shown here with Dr. Spencer and New York’s First Lady Chirlane McCray
“I am pleased to announce that we were able to treat and cure a hero who put himself in harm’s way to care for others,” said New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) President Dr. Ram Raju in a statement. “Today, we also show the world that HHC and the public health care system are at the forefront of cutting-edge medicine. When New York City had the urgent need to prepare for Ebola it was HHC that stepped forward first and did the job right. I could not be more proud of our staff and more happy for our patient.”
“I am very proud to see the release of Dr. Craig Spencer, a man who is truly a hero,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett. “I applaud the work of Dr. Spencer’s medical team and thank HHC for ensuring that he received the best care available.”
“As a doctor with experience in treating patients with Ebola Virus Disease, Dr. Spencer was able to take an active part in all treatment decisions about his care here at Bellevue. He is a brave and caring doctor with a great sense of humor, and that helped in his recovery,” said Dr. Laura Evans, director of Critical Care and Associate Chief of Medicine, HHC Bellevue. “I would especially like to recognize the team of nurses, doctors, lab technicians and other staff whose support and dedication contributed to Dr. Spencer’s recovery.
As Spencer’s release was being hailed in New York and around the country, Filipino Americans were proudly celebrating the Filipino nurses and staff who were part of the team that supported his treatment. Some of them were photographed behind Spencer as he was being introduced by Mayor Bill de Blasio to the media.
“Soooo proud of you Bellevue nurses,” writes Menchu de Luna-Sanchez on Facebook. De Luna-Sanchez, also a Filipino nurse, was herself honored at the White House as one of the heroes of Superstorm Sandy for her effort in saving 20 at-risk babies during a power outage in 2012. “God Bless all of us! Mabuhay ang mga mangagawang Pinoy!”
Another FilAm nurse, Marissa Torres Langseth, said many of the nurses in the HHC public hospital system, such as Bellevue, Lincoln Medical Center and Jacobi, are Filipinos. “I used to work in the Lincoln ER, and the whole ER was like 90 percent Filipinos,” said Langseth who is now a Nurse Practitioner.
“Bravo to our Filipino nurses,” said Pacita Ros, a school teacher from Queens.
“You’re my hero, Pinoy nurses,” came a shout-out from Dex Bernardo, a dialysis technician from Manhattan.
Filipino nurses are a source of pride wherever you find them, many of them said.
Spencer arrived at Bellevue and was diagnosed with the Ebola virus on October 23, 2014. He was treated by a trained team of specialists and intensive care nurses in the Infectious Disease Unit. Bellevue was designated as one of eight Ebola treatment centers in the state and one in five in New York City. The oldest public hospital in the U.S., Bellevue has a long history of being on the front lines of epidemics and emerging public health threats, and managing an isolation unit for diseases, such as TB.
