Health Care Alumni Answer Calls for Aid

Winnie Fritz, BSN ’68, is no stranger to being on the front lines. At 22 years old, she was a manager of a unit in Vietnam, and by 25 was the manager of the presidential suite at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The SVP of Operations and Clinical Services for HCCA Management Services is sharing her lifetime of experience virtually across the world - sharing content for "Daily Huddles" and virtual meetings with hundreds of nurses here and overseas. She has been reviewing Surge Plans and sharing her international and U.S. experience working in other epidemics - offering some wisdom and comfort - an "advantage of old age," she says, wryly. She is one of many Mizzou healthcare alumni jumping into action. As doctors and nurses are called on to help across the country, Tigers have been willing and eager to answer. Gregory Lind, MSN '80, founded a nurse practitioner primary care clinic in Everett, Washington over a decade ago, offering wellness exams for firefighters and paramedics. This fire district safely transported the first patient in the US diagnosed with COVID-19 on January 19th. With that head start and extended knowledge of contagion, none of the 300 EMS providers in his clinic have been diagnosed with SARS-Cov-2. Sarah Muegge, BSN '75, MSN '08, is also prepared for the call. She's a retired nurse educator with Cox Health in Springfield, Missouri with an active license and ready to assist as needed. In the meantime, she and other retirees have been sewing masks for healthcare workers and other first responders facing a shortage of personal protective equipment. "They're the helpers and healers Mr. Rogers told us to look for," says Muegge. Do you know of a Tiger in healthcare making a difference? Share their story online with #TigersSupportTigers, or email maa@mizzou.edu.