CALIFORNIA: National Guard Medical Troops Assist Hospitals
As California hospitals were slammed by waves of COVID-19 patients in December, the National Guard was called to lend a hand. With hospitals reaching a breaking point from an unprecedented surge in coronavirus cases, Guard troops assisted at 13 facilities in the state. Each team consisted of about 6–10 medical corps members, led by a physician or a nurse. At the end of 2020 there were 20,000 people hospitalized for COVID-19 across California eight times higher than two months prior and ICU capacities were approaching 0%. Troops’ duties included offloading patients from ambulances and serving as extra pairs of hands for nurses.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN A recently launched collaboration between Stillpoint Engage and Hennepin EMS first responders and dispatch staff is offering resilience resources to sustain their mental and emotional stamina.
Stillpoint Engage is providing resources to support Hennepin EMS first responders, including individual resilience sessions, group critical incident sessions, in-person resilience training, a private website, resource library, and peer support training.
“In a high-stress, high-risk environment such as emergency response, individuals can face personal and professional challenges,” said Jane Reilly, co-founder and executive director of Stillpoint Engage. “The ResiliencEngage project helps sustain first responders so they can stay resilient and emotionally healthy in the face of traumatic or difficult incidents.”