On Jan. 21, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the leading national public health institute of the United States, and the Washington State Department of Health announced the first case of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the U.S. in Washington State. In response to this public health threat, which would later be declared a global pandemic, Madigan Army Medical Center immediately began coordinating with I Corps, U.S. Army Public Health Center, and local public health