Kious Kelly, gay Mount Sinai RN,
died due to lack of protective equipment
BY ANDY HUMM
GAY CITY NEWS
Just fi ve weeks ago — before all of this
— I was sent by New Alternatives for
Homeless LGBT Youth, where I’m on
the board, to look in on a client hospitalized
in Mount Sinai who was in terrible
pain and not getting proper care. The
nurses and doctors were pleasant enough,
but they were not giving the young man
the relief he needed as he was in constant
agony and could not even sip water.
After about fi ve hours of advocacy, Kious
Kelly, the assistant nursing manager,
showed up with a rainbow pin and a calm,
caring manner and made things happen for
the young man — getting him pain relief
and pulling him back from the brink of
wanting to take his own life. He was an
angel to this troubled, homeless, African-
American kid.
On March 25, I read that due to a lack
of personal protective equipment (PPE) —
something that was a problem at Mount
Sinai before all this — Kious was infected
with COVID-19 two weeks ago and died
the day before.
“Kious didn’t deserve this,” one
nurse told the New York Post. “The hospital
should be held responsible. The hospital
killed him.”
The story says that “another nurse
FACEBOOK/KIOUS KELLY
Kious Kelly, a 48-year-old Mount Sinai RN, died from the coronavirus.
Partnership with FEMA to bring 250 ambulances and
500 EMTs to New York City
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
New York City will receive some extra
help with the increased volume
of medical calls that have arisen
during the pandemic.
On March 31, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced
a partnership between FEMA and
the City to bring 250 more ambulances
and approximately 500 more EMTs and
paramedics to New York City.
“Our EMTs and paramedics are doing
unbelievable work under the toughest of
circumstances,” said de Blasio. “This week,
I promised them help was on the way, and
today it is. Our partnership with FEMA
will give our fi rst responders the help they
need to continue being the heroes of our
city.”
The addition of the ambulances and
personnel will increase capacity for medical
transport in between medical sites and
described ‘issues with supplies for about a
year now,’ during which it got ‘to the point
where we had to hide our own supplies and
go to other units looking for stuff because
even the supply room would have nothing
most of the time.’”
Many are appreciating Governor Andrew
Cuomo’s leadership now in this crisis,
but Sean Petty, RN, a pediatric ER nurse
at the Jacobi Medical Center and with the
New York State Nurses Association, told
“Democracy Now” on March 25 that
“Cuomo is the single most important
person in the drive to close down hospital
assist the FDNY with responding to a
record number of medical calls. These ambulances
come fully staffed by paramedics
and EMTs from around the country.
“These resources will make an immediate
impact for our fi rst responders who are
on the frontlines of fi ghting COVID-19,
and we are extremely thankful to FEMA for
providing this support,” said NYC Emergency
Management Commissioner Deanne
Criswell. “I also want to remind New Yorkers
that they can also assist those most in
need by only calling 911 in an emergency.”
During the pandemic, New York City’s
EMS has been responding to a record
number of medical emergencies each day
– a 50% increase over normal daily call
volume. FDNY is urging New Yorkers to
only call 911 if you have a true medical
emergency. Those who are sick should call
a doctor, and can call 311 for help getting
connected with a doctor.
beds in the last 20 years.” Petty assailed
the Berger Commission on Health Care
Facilities, which started closing hospitals
and reducing beds under Governor George
Pataki and continued under Governors David
Paterson and Cuomo. He also attacked
Cuomo’s “two rounds of Medicaid cuts,”
including a $2.5 billion cut proposed by
the governor “in just the last two weeks.”
We had 73,000 beds in New York State
in 2000, now have 53,000, and the governor
says we need 140,000 in this crisis.
Joanne Loo, RN, posted this on Facebook
about Kious Kelly: “He used to carry
“Our EMTs and Paramedics are facing
an unprecedented number of medical calls
each day. There has never been a busier
time in the history of EMS in New York
City,” said Fire Commissioner Daniel A.
Nigro. “We are very grateful for this assistance
from FEMA that will make an
immediate impact to the 911 system and
around a thick notepad holder that hides
a box full of chocolates and candies so he
can have it handy to give out to miserable/
grumbly nurses and doctors who are more
likely than not ‘hangry.’ He spreads joy and
love exactly like how the world needs it. He
is a nurse hero to the patients and nurses
who he crossed path with. His death hit
home… and it hurts. The stories of the
profound impact he had made on many of
us will take villages of people to tell. Kious,
I’m glad I spoke my mind two weekends
ago, when we were fi ghting with you on
the weakening guidelines of PPE. What
I told you holds true, ‘we respect you so
much and we believe you will protect us.’
As I took on the role as unit-based council
chairperson, you took time to listen and
share your wisdom. You are the hope and
the strength of 10B, we cannot thank you
enough for all that we had done. You are
a respectable man — an honorable nurse
leader. We cannot believe you are gone
Kious.”
Today I’m mourning Kious Jordan Kelly,
a 48-year old gay nurse manager who died
from caring. I was only with him for 15
minutes, but it was enough to see his
unique power of healing. An unforgettable
character. Honor his memory by not letting
even one more health care worker die.
This story fi rst appeared on gaycitynews.
com.
PHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES
greatly assist our men and women on the
frontlines of this pandemic.”
“We are proud to support the fi rst responders
and people of New York as we
all work together to help guide our city, our
state and our country through this diffi cult
time,” said Tom Von Essen, FEMA Region
II Administrator.
Schneps Media April 2, 2020 9