The addition of National Guard soldiers to the area’s hospital is a part of Gov. Mike DeWine’s order last month for 1,050 Ohio National Guard members to be activated to help with COVID-related staffing shortages in nursing homes, and then an additional 1,250 guard members to be deployed to help hospitals.
Ohio National Guard PIO Stephanie Beougher said plans are underway to add roughly 50 non-clinical soldiers to focus on hospital and testing support in the Dayton and Springfield area “in the next week.”
“We are continuing to work with the Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio Hospital Association to reassign personnel as needs shift among hospitals and regions of the state,” Beougher said.
There are currently about 120 supporting the Dayton and Springfield area.
“We are grateful for their assistance and dedication during this challenging time,” said Jennifer Robinson, Public Relations and Communications Manager of Bon Secours Mercy Health.
According to the Ohio Hospital Association, more than 5,581 people were hospitalized for COVID-19 in the state on Friday. Nearly 1 in 4 patients are COVID-19 positive, the hospital association said.
In Ohio’s intensive care units, nearly 1 in 3 patients are positive for the virus. More than 1,000 COVID-19 patients were in Ohio’s ICUs on Friday, according to the hospital association.
Since the pandemic’s start, the Ohio Department of Health has reported more than 31,000 cases in Clark County, with more than 800 hospitalizations and nearly 500 deaths also reported.
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