'The Old Dolls' Healthcare Heroes

A group of Northwestern Memorial Hospital nurses affectionately known as 'The Old Dolls' of Chicago are the Healthcare Heroes. This group of nurses has been working together at Northwestern Memorial Hospital since the 1980's, including administering care during the AIDS crisis. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, the group decided to continue their work in the Intensive Care Units amid the healthcare pandemic.

Each of these nurses were given the option to transfer to other hospital departments with lower exposure risks. However, this group of nurses opted to remain together on the frontline of the pandemic, which included taking care of the sickest COVID-19 patients. These nurses have worked together on the front lines for more than 30 years. The group is legendary at Northwestern and is training and mentoring the next generation of nurses who work alongside them.