Additional help has arrived for health care staff at Lawrence General Hospital courtesy of a 19-member medical team from the Department of Defense. The Air Force clinical health care workers came to Lawrence from their home bases to assist civilian staff for 30 days.
Lawrence General President and CEO Deborah J. Wilson told the airmen when they arrived on Feb. 10 that hospital staff and Air Force medical personnel have a lot in common when it comes to the duty of caring for patients and serving our community.
"(Our staff) is very mission-focused, so we share that with you. We’re here to serve and we’ve been put to the test (with COVID),” Wilson said.
The Air Force clinical team include four physicians, 11 registered nurses including critical care nurses, respiratory therapists, and other personnel.
The United States Department of Defense deployed the medical unit to support Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) efforts after a request from Gov. Charlie Baker. The unit will be deployed to Lawrence General for the next 30 days due to the recent surge and demand for patient care at Lawrence General. The City of Lawrence remains the hardest hit from COVID-19 and Lawrence General Hospital has expanded resources to meet patient care demand because of the pandemic.
Lawrence General provides access to traditional hospital care, including surgical, cardiac, medical, emergency and trauma services. Ensuring that the community had access to all services during the recent third major COVID surge has been challenging. Longer inpatient stays for COVID patients, and the surge in volume due to the impact of the highly contagious Omicron variant, make the Air Force medical team a welcome relief for nursing and medical staff who have been working additional shifts and longer hours to meet the intensity of local patient care demand.
