2020
DR. GRACE
TING, MD
INTERNIST
NASSAU UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
Dr. Grace Ting has been serving in the Emergency Department at Nassau University Medical
Center (NUMC). Her family immigrated to the United States in the 1970’s from Taiwan, after a
2��year detour in West Africa. Her medical training coincided with the start of the HIV epidemic.
One day, she was a medical student in upstate NY, to making rounds on their fi rst hospitalized
AIDS patient dressed in full body suit PPE. 4��months later, she was in New York City’s Upper
West Side, taking care of AIDS patients with only gloves for protection.
After her residency, Dr. Ting decided to practice in the Emergency Department at Nassau
University Medical Center. Working in a public hospital with a majority of patients who cannot
afford private insurance or physicians has been extremely rewarding. From the trickle of
news from China, to the closing of an entire city, to the spread of the virus to other countries,
they were witnessing and living through an unprecedented event with COVID-19. Dr. Ting and
some more mature colleagues had fl ashbacks of the early AIDS days.
It took more than 8��years for the US to reach 100,000��cases of AIDs, but only 3��months from
the lockdown of Chinese City of Wuhan to 100,000��reported cases in the United States, with
New York City and surrounding suburbs as the epicenter. Preparation, forward thinking, updating
information, learning from others, and communication are so important in any situation.
There were so many people asking to donate whatever was needed and offering services,
comfort for hospital staff, and equipment.
HEALTHCARE HEROES