COVID-19 First-Person Perspective: Todd Chasteen
Todd Chasteen
Todd Chasteen serves as Vice President of Public Policy/General Counsel for Samaritan’s Purse, a “nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world” headquartered in Boone. Below is his interview with Russell Rawlings.
When did Samaritan’s Purse first begin to learn of the COVID-19 crisis, and how did it respond initially?
Our leadership and medical staff tracked COVID early in 2020. Like everyone else, there was so much we did not know about infection rate, mortality rate, and whether it would spread beyond China and South Korea to Europe, the United States and parts of the world where we normally land. Very early on, one of our medical directors informed leadership that COVID could bring major chaos and overrun ICU units and hospitals beyond capacity. I heard him but had no idea how prophetic his words would become.
Our ministry was chomping at the bit to help, but how? We were used to running to the fire, but this was different; it devastated developed countries. We had a medical force and emergency field hospital to airlift and drop almost anywhere on the planet. In the past, we set up a field hospital 15 kilometers from ISIS-controlled Mosul, Iraq; we battled Ebola in Liberia; we helped the Rohingya who were hit with diphtheria after hundreds of thousands were brutally forced out of Myanmar into Bangladesh; and when Hurricane Dorian demolished the Bahamas and shut down a hospital, we dropped our hospital on the ground to fill the gap for medical care.
But the COVID spread happened acutely in countries with sophisticated medical systems and resources with far more bureaucratic rules that just don’t work when a war is in your city and people are dying, healthcare workers are in tears, and hospitals are about to collapse under pressure. Yet, places like Italy and New York were under siege and they began to waive rules and make desperate pleas for help. We were thankful to answer, this is what we do.
When it became apparent that New York City and Italy were two of the hardest hit areas in the world, how did your organization determine that it would concentrate on those two hot spots?
Italy was the epicenter, the hot zone, of Europe. Their number of infections and death rates were scary high. In north Italy, in the Lombardy region, no place on the earth was worse at the time. We immediately contacted their Ministry of Health and they said please come. Within days, the Samaritan’s Purse emergency field hospital was in the Cremona Hospital parking lot taking COVID patients. The hospital welcomed us with songs like “Take me Home, Country Roads” and “Rocky Top.” They were grateful to have us, and we were grateful to serve. It’s how life should be.
I never would have guessed that New York City would become north Italy and Spain in contagion and death rate. The fire hit and raged in New York City. The news stories of healthcare workers exhausted and in tears broke our hearts. The numbers came too hard and too fast. Some NYC hospitals were about to crash. A former FEMA specialist working in leadership at Mount Sinai Health System noticed our posted offer to bring a hospital, medical professionals and bed capacity for COVID patients to NYC. These were all the items the Governor made daily pleas for.
Mount Sinai contacted us and within a few days we were treating COVID patients in Central Park. The people of New York City have loved on our teams and shown incredible support dropping off food, encouraging letters, posting signs and showing gratitude in every way conceivable. With our medical staff leaving their homes and placing their health at risk, and working 12-hour shifts day after day, the encouragement from the New York community has been inspiring. Lives were in the balance and this needed all hands on deck.
Specifically, what does aid and support from Samaritan’s Purse look like in these war zone like situations, and how does that come about?
We work in over 100 countries and crises are widespread. One moment all is fine, the next day a tsunami crushes a coast. Our work is not predictable. Aid comes in the form of what we see as the greatest need for the moment. An epic response we had in 1994 after hundreds of thousands were massacred in Rwanda was to help reestablish a hospital in Kigali the capital and operate an orphanage because so many parents had been slaughtered. In Haiti after the 2010 earthquake pancaked much of the country, we brought in surgeons within days to handle severe injuries, later had a Cholera medical clinic and engaged in months of massive food distributions.
Meeting the most desperate needs is the plan. Our CEO, Franklin Graham, and our Projects leadership, set the vision to respond as quickly as humanly possible. Yet our entire team knows it is God who opens up doors to show His love and serve. We know where our help comes from.
What about logistics and communications? From the outside looking in, it seems like there are so many moving parts.
Technology allows for great communication access to spots around the globe. Logistics specialists work with great detail and pre-set inventory, equipment and relief supplies to be ready to go. Trial runs to set up a field hospital take place in months in advance. The generosity that God has placed on the hearts of His people to support our relief efforts is indescribable and humbling. It takes an army of people passionate and committed to the mission. The work is not easy. It is worthwhile.
What has your role been in the relief effort? What does your day look like, and what are your specific duties?
Our legal team researched Emergency Management regulations in a host of states so we could start the application process and know who to contact to get permission to set up our hospitals for COVID. We looked at Washington, Louisiana, California, North Carolina and New York. We did not know which place would become a forest fire. New York soon became the focus … it raged like no other place in the U.S. That is where the door opened up.
Our legal team watched the shutdown orders in every county and state where we serve. Thankfully, we were an essential activity and free to apply our resources to help battle COVID wherever we could and help in various communities.
Have you sensed any indication that the tide is turning?
The tide appears to be turning on the health care side. For the livelihoods of millions, I hope and pray we are strategic about protecting life and allowing people to operate their businesses in strategic, cautious, responsible ways using social distancing, masks, hygiene, and work-from-home protocol where feasible. Concerts and stadium sports may have to wait awhile. The human cost of losing your livelihood must be in the equation. There is hope and we are learning how to be better as a society.
Are you working remotely, or have you traveled into any of the COVID hot spots?
I am working from our headquarters in Boone. I would have loved to go to Italy or NYC. Yet if I go, I get quarantined for 14 days when I return. Samaritan’s Purse wants its key medical and relief workers on the ground who make a difference. I would be wasted space. I do have a son working at our field hospital in Italy, but he actually has medical skills.
When did you first become affiliated with Samaritan’s Purse, and how did your employment with the organization come about?
In law school, I focused on nonprofit law as much as I could, because one day I knew I wanted to either have a large clientele of churches, nonprofits and ministries or actually work full time for a charity. When I graduated, there were few in-house counsel roles for Christian nonprofits. I set up our first legal department at Samaritan’s Purse in 1995. Like any large organization, you have contracts, board governance, employment law, technology law, trademarks, international law, tax law, nonprofit law, but thankfully not much litigation.
This article is part of the August 2020 issue of North Carolina Lawyer. Access a curated view of NC Lawyer or view the table of contents.