Mercy Medical Center Chief Of Critical Care Dies Of Coronavirus

BALTIMORE, MD — The head of critical care at Mercy Medical Center has died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Joseph Costa, M.D., died Saturday, according to a statement from the hospital. He was 56.

"He was beloved by his patients and their family members — known for his warm and comforting bedside manner as well as his direct and informative communication style," Mercy Board of Trustees Executive Chair Sister Helen Amos and Mercy President/CEO Dr. David N. Maine wrote in a letter about the chief's death.

To his staff, he was "like an older brother" who had earned admiration, they wrote.

"When the global pandemic came down upon us, Joe selflessly continued his work on the front lines — deeply committed to serving our patients and our City during this time of great need," Amos and Maine said.

Costa was treated in the intensive care unit at Mercy Medical Center, where he died from the virus, a spokesperson for the hospital told Patch.

"This is an incredibly difficult time for Joe’s family, friends, and colleagues. We encourage you to extend a hand of comfort to employees and physicians who are grieving, and please say a prayer for his family and loved ones," the hospital leadership wrote. "Think of the ways Joe would comfort patients and families, and do the same for one another."

In memory of Costa, the Sisters of Mercy and Mercy Health Services Administration will plant a tree in the intensive care unit's ninth-floor garden this summer.

Costa was described as a trusted presence at the hospital. He joined Mercy in 1997 and was chief of critical care there for the past 15 years. He was president of the medical staff from 2014 to 2016.

Costa completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Virginia and earned his medical degree from the University of Maryland. Following his residency in internal medicine at the University of Maryland, he completed a fellowship there in critical care and at the Baltimore VA Medical Center in pulmonary care. He was board-certified in critical care, and his past board certifications included internal medicine and pulmonary disease.

"Joe served the vulnerable and cared for our most ill and compromised patients," Amos said in a statement. "He gave our patients — and all of us — so much more than his medical expertise. He touched our lives with tenderness, hope, peace and a wonderfully big heart."

Plans for a memorial service have not yet been finalized.

As of Monday, 821 front-line health care workers are believed to have died from COVID-19 in the United States, according to The Guardian.

See Also:

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