COLUMBUS, Ohio — Until about four months ago, many had never heard of Dr. Amy Acton.

Now, nationwide, she’s a household name.

Back in February 2019, she was sworn in as Governor Mike DeWine’s final cabinet pick.

He says he took his time making sure he got that one right.

"We interviewed a lot of good people, but I really felt, and having no idea this virus was coming, I felt that the public health position is very important. Public health has been underfunded, underutilized in the past, but I wanted someone who not only knew public health, who was a medical doctor, but someone who could communicate with the people of Ohio," said DeWine.

A year later she found herself on the front lines of what would become the biggest health and economic crisis Ohio has ever seen.

But just like the coronavirus, it started small, with the canceling of the Arnold Classic.

“Indeed, this is a huge and unique event— 80 countries as you heard, 22,000 athletes, over 200 attendees,” said Dr. Acton.

The decision to cancel the event sparked immediate backlash— a harbinger of resistance to come.

But as the cases mounted, Dr. Acton became the soothing voice of reason during a terrifying unknown.

“Cases can be very misleading to the public. Because it’s a past historical event, because of our lack of testing, cases are just the tip of the iceberg," she said.

Every day at two o’clock standing with the governor and lieutenant governor, she gave frank, science-based explanations of what was happening— both calming the fears and stoking what would become fiery opposition.

After her emergency stay-at-home order in April was declared, hundreds began swarming the capital, and even her home, calling for her removal— some bearing hateful, anti-semitic signs.

Still, she kept her focus on keeping Ohioans safe.

“We’re always aiming at most of us doing the right thing. We’re never going to get everyone to do the exact right thing,” Dr. Acton said.

Those opposing Dr. Acton weren’t just outside the capital— they were inside as well.

The Ohio House of Representatives passed a bill to strip her of power, turning a health issue into a political one.

Still, she kept her faith in the people of Ohio.

“We don’t want to gamble — gamble is a harsh word — on anyone in Ohio.  There’s nothing we care about more than getting our citizens safely through what we’re all facing, which is just a terrible virus,” she said.

But she reached a breaking point. 4:00 a.m. wake-ups and late nights became unsustainable and eventually, as we entered the next phase of living with this virus, she saw her out.

She says she’s still committed to the health of Ohioans, and will continue this fight. 

“This is a state of emergency. We are at war with an unseen enemy that is a virus,” she said.

As she hangs up her lab coat for the time being , she is leaving an indelible mark on history.

We’ll never know how many lives she saved with her decisive actions, but we do know things could have turned out a lot differently without her.