A new call to arms

Military personnel take an oath to defend the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

For Army veterans like Richard Morton, MHA, director of Adult Hospital Emergency Services for Baptist Health, that includes invisible enemies, too, like COVID-19, a new and highly virulent strain of coronavirus.

Morton, a retired lieutenant colonel who spent more than 25 years in the Army's medical branch, including tours of duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and Bosnia, said when facing a mysterious and rapid-moving virus like COVID-19, the best thing we can do is to stay cautious and consistent but not fearful.

"One of the first things you are taught in the military is to adapt to your environment, stay agile and don't get stuck in a box with no means of escape," said Morton, a former chief nursing officer at Fort Benning, Ga. "And that's what we are doing right now as health care workers. We are shifting in real time to the demands and the uncertainty of what the impact and scope of care for this disease looks like."

As the system lead for the Veterans Assistance and Support Team (VAST), a Baptist Health diversity group established in 2018 to enhance recruitment and integration of veterans and their families into the health system, Morton said he and fellow members of VAST have an unspoken duty to inspire others during unsettling times.

"As a group, we want people to know that through any turbulence, you can get to a steady state," he said. "There is a port in any storm and you get through it by sticking together."

Added Kathryn Price, a cardiac and pulmonary rehab coordinator at Baptist Medical Center Nassau and a sergeant in the Florida Army National Guard: "Being patient and flexible is important right now because life changes a little bit each day as new information pours in about this disease.

"And that uncertainty makes this so much more different than preparing for a natural disaster like a hurricane."

Unlike a natural disaster, fighting a deadly virus is a protracted war. But like a hurricane, it's hard to anticipate when a virus will make landfall in a particular region, or what the major effects will be until it hits.

The best thing to do is to be prepared for all contingencies, Morton said.

"We know how this enemy works and how to equip ourselves to fight it," he added. "We must continue to be prepared, no matter where or how it impacts us."

Price's Florida National Guard unit was activated for Hurricanes Irma and Michael. In times of national emergency, she is called on to defend her state and its residents, especially those who are hurting and need assistance.

"They are already activating National Guard soldiers to serve at COVID-19 testing sites and I feel like even more soldiers will be activated for this crisis," said the 20-year clinical exercise physiologist. "The virus is going to dictate a lot of it."

Morton normally wears a suit and tie to work. But since early March, when COVID-19 was deemed a pandemic by the World Health Organization, he has been donning Baptist blue nursing scrubs.

"That's my combat uniform," said the certified critical care nurse. "I'm very proud to be in the health care profession and to wear the Baptist Health logo on my scrubs. We are caring for the community with all the resources we have and we will be here no matter what."

At Baptist Health, we want to help keep you and your family informed about COVID-19. We're coordinating with the health department and following CDC guidelines to ensure the health and safety of our community. For more information, visit baptistjax.com/covid19.