COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio National Guard has been deployed to Mount Carmel East to help combat a rising number of COVID-19 hospitalizations.
A total of 70 guard members arrived to the hospital Tuesday for training and will officially begin providing assistance on Wednesday, according to a release from Mount Carmel.
During their time at the hospital, guard members will provide non-clinical support, serving as patient safety attendants, providing patient transport, and offering nutrition assistance, among other services.
Additionally, the National Guard will work with Mount Carmel to discuss potentially establishing a crisis surge unit designed to provide additional capacity should the space be needed, according to the release.
The deployment comes in preparation of what Mount Carmel health officials say could be the largest surge of the pandemic.
“We’re grateful to Governor DeWine and the Ohio National Guard for their support,” said Lorraine Lutton, president and CEO of Mount Carmel Health System. “With the threat of the omicron variant and its potential impact on central Ohio, collaborations like this will provide needed support to our frontline workers.”
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced plans to deploy 1,050 guard members to hospitals throughout the state in mid-December. Up until now, those members had only been deployed to hospitals in northern Ohio, where health officials have reported a surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations.