Hundreds Of Military Service Members Still Working On Front Lines Of Coronavirus Fight In NYC Hospitals
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The USNS Comfort has left New York and the Javits field hospital is no more, but the military still has boots on the ground in the city.
Around 800 service members are on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic at New York City's public hospitals.
CBS2's Lisa Rozner got an inside look through the eyes of Lt. Col. Jared Clay, an Air Force general surgeon working in the Bronx.
Clay has gone from the front lines of war in Afghanistan to the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis.
"I personally had about 12-hour notice between getting a phone call and being on a plane to come here," he said.
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Clay left his wife and four sons behind in Colorado Springs in April to treat patients as a general surgeon at Jacobi Medical Center.
"I've been working in the intensive care unit helping patients with their respiratory distress, putting in specialized catheters," he said.
He's one of nearly 60 from the Air Force suited up in scrubs at Jacobi Hospital. More than 80 are from the Army.
The only way patients know he's a service member? From his ID badge.
His ICU had 12 patients. Now it's down to nine.
"Each one of those requires minute-to-minute decisions," Clay said. "Seeing patients that do succumb to the disease ultimately without family members nearby, that's hard for us."
CORONAVIRUS: NY Health Dept. | NY Call 1-(888)-364-3065 | NYC Health Dept. | NYC Call 311, Text COVID to 692692 | NJ Health Dept. | NJ Call 1-(800)-222-1222 or 211, Text NJCOVID to 898211 | CT Health Dept. | CT Call 211
Sharing in the grief and victories with civilian doctors, Jacobi in particular has been recognized for the seamless transition by the Department of Defense.
That's because in September, it held emergency training with the Army on how it would respond together to an influx of patients.
RELATED STORY: Jacobi Medical Center Chair Of Emergency Preparedness Recognized For Helping Prepare NYC, Army Prior To Coronavirus Pandemic
Clay says while this isn't the way he envisioned seeing New York City for the first time, he can certainly feel the energy of its residents.
The cheers every night at 7 p.m. for health care heroes are heard as he heads home to where he's staying in Times Square.
"That is really humbling," Clay said.
He's a humble hero who says he's proud to be here, and we're proud to have him.
Clay says he'll stay for as long as he's needed.
