Advocate Aurora Health

Healthcare Heroes: Stepping Up for Patients

Hearing the applause, you’d think a rock star was in town. But it’s actually the sound of healthcare heroes at Advocate Aurora Health cheering for the patients who have completed the difficult journey of recovery from COVID-19.

On April 15, the system surpassed 1,000 COVID-19 discharges across Illinois and Wisconsin.

“This milestone is an important reminder of the excellent care our team provides and the hard work, commitment and focus it’s taken to reach this point,” said Gary Stuck, MD, chief medical officer of Advocate Aurora Health, which is based in Downers Grove and has 13 Illinois hospitals.

One COVID-19 patient, Carmen Benabe, 86, was admitted to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago on April 10 with difficulty breathing.

Just four days later, thanks to the hospital’s healthcare heroes, Benabe was discharged to recover at home. Her daughter, Dalia Colon, calls the recovery nothing short of a miracle. Her family, Colon said, is forever grateful for the hospital’s unwavering commitment. 

For Paul Richards, 69, the journey was longer. The retired firefighter and Vietnam veteran spent two weeks on a ventilator at Advocate Trinity Hospital in Chicago and was discharged on April 15.

“They didn’t hesitate,” Richards said of the hospital’s healthcare heroes. “They jumped right into action. Everyone stepped up to do what they had to do and put their lives on the line to care for me.”