12 Baptist health care workers return home to Jacksonville after trip to Super Bowl

JACKSONVILLE,Fla. — Home sweet home. After spending the weekend in Tampa, 12 local Baptist health care workers or heroes, as we call them, are back home in Jacksonville.

“I couldn’t even sleep last night,” registered nurse for Baptist Medical Center South, Tujuana Dudley, said. “Like, I was at the Super Bowl … I mean, really? Who does that?”

12 Baptist health care workers took a 3:18 p.m. bus ride to Tampa, stopping at Raymond James Stadium for a trip to the Super Bowl, and were honored among 7,500 other vaccinated health care workers.

“To be there with that many other health care workers who have been through the same thing, that, you know, have seen the same things we’ve been through. To experience something like that is just mind-blowing,” said Jodie Bisogno, a registered nurse for Baptist Medical Center South.

The pandemic has been tough on many. According to the Florida Department of Health, Duval County is now above 84,000 COVID-19 cases and just under 1,000 deaths. As part of the National Football League’s tribute to health care workers, the heroes tell me they were honored the entire time.

“It started with the Miley Cyrus concert. We all got into that, and they provided lunch, food, drinks — anything we wanted,” Jody Dolan-Aldrich, a registered nurse for Baptist North Medical Campus, said. “We had our special section with K-95 masks that were identified as yellow and, several times, they honored the nurses and thanked us for everything we did.”

The Baptist health care workers tell me they feel honored and blessed to have such a great opportunity. Now that they’re back home, they know there’s a lot of work left to be done.

“Got a big job to do. We’re not done. Vaccinations have started so please, please get your vaccination when you can,” Bisogno said. “Wash your hands; continue to sanitize. We’re not through this yet, but we are making strides.”

The health care workers said it was a humbling experience and something they will never forget.

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