On March 18, 2020, the City of Amarillo reported two people in the Texas Panhandle had contracted COVID-19. Since then, nearly 30,000 residents in Potter and Randall counties have contracted the virus, with more than 480 dead.
The multitude of COVID-19 cases have affected hospital capacity for the BSA Healthcare System, the Northwest Texas Healthcare System and the Amarillo VA Healthcare System. The end result has been frontline healthcare workers accumulating countless hours extending care to hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
The tireless efforts of these individuals is why the Amarillo Globe-News is naming frontline healthcare workers the 2020 Men and Women of the Year, presented by FirstBank Southwest.