About This Episode
In May 2020, as the COVID 19 pandemic unfolded, Ambassador Caroline Kennedy and her son, Jack Schlossberg, wanted to recognize the courage and national sacrifice of people on the front lines of the pandemic-- people who were going above and beyond their everyday responsibilities to help those in their communities. After a public nomination campaign yielded thousands of nominations from across the country, seven honorees were selected who had put their own health and safety at risk to help heal the sick, protect our most vulnerable, and provide critical support services.
Lauren Leander is an ICU nurse at the Banner University Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. In addition to taking care of the most critically ill patients in Phoenix, Leander stood with three of her colleagues in support of stay-at-home orders that were critical to slowing the spread of the virus during the early days of the pandemic. A photo of Leander facing angry protestors face to face went viral nationwide. Leander used that exposure to raise more than $200,000 for PPE and other necessities for neighboring tribal areas and hospitals hit hardest by COVID-19.
Dr. Amy Acton served as the first woman physician director of the Ohio State Health Department. She boldly proposed an aggressive shelter-in-place order to slow the spread of COVID-19. While her leadership put Ohio ahead of most other states in responding to the virus, she became the target of protestors and legislators who sought to limit her power while engaging in personal attacks against her.
View the transcript for this episode.
What We Talked About
- Read about the special JFK Profile in COVID Courage Award.
- Read about Lauren Leander and Dr. Amy Acton
- Watch the Celebrating Courage: The Profile in Courage Award and COVID Courage Awards ceremony