Dr. James Pruden is an Emergency Medicine physician at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson, NJ. As Director of Emergency preparedness at St. Joseph’s, Dr. Pruden ensures that his staff is capable of handling crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. Like so many healthcare workers on the front lines, in March of this year Dr. Pruden tested positive for COVID-19. Soon he became very ill, requiring hospitalization and intubation.
For over a month, Dr. Pruden fought for his life in the ICU.
Remarkably, on April 8th, he won this battle and was released from the hospital. The heartwarming scene in this video captures the moment Dr. Pruden was discharged. It serves not only as a reminder of the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, but of the resiliency of the human spirit and the power of community.
Dr. Pruden, you are a healthcare hero.