Dr. Joseph J. Costa, chief of the Critical Care Division at Baltimore’s Mercy Medical Center, had a rare autoimmune disorder that affected his lungs and lymph nodes. When the COVID pandemic hit, he refused to allow his staff to face the risks alone, and knowingly and courageously put himself in mortal danger.

As the deadly virus spread, Dr. Costa continued to work on the front lines, even after the virus sickened another physician and several staff members in the ICU. He spent months at the bedside of the sickest COVID patients, putting his patients’ needs above his own.

Sadly, Dr. Costa contracted COVID 19 and died of the novel coronavirus on July 25, 2020 in the same ICU he supervised.

As Mercy Medical Center said, “he dedicated his life and career to caring for the sickest patients. And 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.”