Leading the way in pandemic

WEST MILFORD  Imagine being ordered to complete the herculean task of helping to build a Field Medical Station (FMS) on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic for recovering patients inside the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus — all in four days.

The task did not worry N.J. Army National Guard Col. Stephen McKenzie, who felt confident in leading a team of 52 Guardsmen — skilled in setting up field hospitals — to help build the 250-bed facility, which opened April 8 for patients who have contracted the virus but are considered “sub-acute” — not in critical condition. It was established by the Department of Health to ease the pressure on local hospitals, many of which have been filled with overwhelming numbers of coronavirus patients. These people are on the mend — their fevers have broken and their breathing improved — but they need more respiratory therapy to breathe better and physical therapy to get around better. Their typical stay is three or four days as they finish their treatments for the virus that has taken more than 7,000 lives in the Garden State, said Col. McKenzie, parishioner of St. Joseph Parish in West Milford and candidate for the permanent diaconate in the Diocese.

“The COVID pandemic is a war, and I’m proud as a Guards­man to be a part of the defense of our nation. This is all about helping our citizens, helping our state and getting us through this battle, so that we can come out at the end fit and well and ready to move forward with our lives,” said Col. McKenzie, 54. Even while tending to a mountain of logistical concerns, he kept in mind the mission of the FMS: to give the “human touch” of healing — and hope — to its patients. “It’s great to provide patients with calming care, interact with them and with their families, plan what life will be like when they leave the facility. It’s wonderful to see them feeling better — not out of breath and able to walk. It’s a joy to help return them to their families,” he said.

The task to help establish the FMS was not merely a military order but also a labor of love for Col. McKenzie — a man of service to his country and to God’s people. He joined the Guard in 1996 and has undertaken missions that have taken him around the world, most recently to the Middle East. He currently works as a physician assistant in cardiology for Summit Medical Group in Berkley Heights. An active St. Joseph’s parishioner, Col. McKenzie is scheduled to be ordained with 13 other men to the diocesan permanent diaconate in June, pending the easing of state guidelines currently being enforced for the pandemic.

“We hit the ground running to start building the field hospital. I knew it was going to be a success because of our terrific team of professionals in the Guard and all of our partnering agencies,” said Col. McKenzie. He worked long hours to help set up the field hospital, working with the N.J. Department of Health and Human Services, N.J. All-Hazard Incident Management Team, N.J. State Police, Federal Emergency Manage­ment Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The FMS at Secaucus also is intended to treat people who have no insurance to cover the cost of the additional physical and respiratory therapy, or those who cannot return home yet because either they have no family members or do not want to infect family members at home. Col. McKenzie delights in the fact that such large numbers of patients have already been released. Staff members keep in contact with local hospitals, identify suitable patients for the FMS and then help arrange the transfer, he said.

However, running a field hospital has its challenges. The Guard orients the mostly civilian staff of doctors and nurses to handle these challenges, such as putting on and taking off the full complement of protective gear; working on temporary equipment, such as folding tables; and explaining that certain procedures, such as administering medications, obtaining X-rays and getting lab results, might take longer than at a typical hospital. The Department of Health and Human Services has paired the FMS at Secaucus with University Hospital in Newark, which shares staff and equipment with the new facility, Col. McKenzie said.

While Col. McKenzie’s National Guard team early on focused on logistics, such as setting up medical equipment, phone lines and the FMS’ operational procedures, he never lost sight of the spiritual aspect of his work, especially in the context of his call to become a permanent deacon. This came into sharper focus when he promised to pray the rosary for a patient from El Salvador.

“When there is fear and panic because of the pandemic, it’s harder for people to heal. Deacons are called to make our lives a prayer in service to God, show Christ through their work and help his people,” Col. McKenzie said.

The dramatic rise in the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in New Jersey motivated the state’s hospitals to boost their capacity to provide critical care for the peak of the pandemic. N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy ordered the establishment of three Field Medical Stations: one in Secaucus, a 500-bed facility in the N.J. Convention Center in Edison and a 250-bed facility in the Atlantic City Conven­tion Center, Guard officials said.

Helping build the FMS in Secaucus has been one of Col. McKenzie’s many missions as a Guardsman and Army reservist for the past 24 years. Last year, he was deployed to Kuwait and Qatar for seven months. He also took part in a humanitarian mission in Nicaragua and Honduras, a deployment to Iraq and helping the Wounded Warrior Project at Fort Riley, Kan. He and his wife, Monica, have two grown sons and a young granddaughter.

Closer to home, Col. McKenzie has served St. Joseph’s as an usher, lector, Bible study facilitator and Men’s Cornerstone team member, since arriving there in 1994. For the past five years, he has been in formation for the permanent diaconate and, before his June ordination, will receive a master’s degree in theology from Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall Univer­sity in South Orange.

“Col. McKenzie is a devout man and a fine diaconal candidate because of his passion for service and excellent academic record — even with his other demands,” said Deacon Peter Cistaro, director of the diocesan permanent diaconate office, who also serves St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Parsip­pany. “He well represents this great diaconate class of 2020,” he said. For a video of Col. Stephen McKenzie at work at the Field Medical Station, visit Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/185017611554223/posts/2892362794153011/