A federal medical team from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) began providing temporary medical surge support Thursday at the Queen’s Medical Center at Hale Pulama Mau and the Kuakini Medical Center in Honolulu. The 21 personnel, primarily nurses, from the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (USPHS) join 15 medical professionals from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to help the two hospitals safely care for patients with COVID-19. The HHS team will be deployed for as long as 14 days.
HI-EMA Administrator Luke Meyers said, “As our State’s hospitals struggle to deal with their surges in COVID-19 patients, this assistance from HHS will make a significant difference in our fight against this disease. We thank the personnel for their dedication to helping those in need.”
HHS activated the USPHS Commissioned Corps, along with the National Disaster Medical System, to provide temporary medical relief during the pandemic. These professionals augment health care providers at overwhelmed medical facilities in hotspot areas across the country. More than 4,160 USPHS officers have deployed during the pandemic. These medical providers work in collaboration with local health providers to treat COVID-19 patients.
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