NavMed deploys to Baton Rouge

Weeks after responding to Louisiana’s epicenter of the coronavirus in New Orleans, Navy medical professionals moved north to aid Baton Rouge’s General Medical Center-Mid City. Lt. Gen. Laura J. Richardson, who leads the Defense Department’s COVID-19 response in North America, announced April 19 that 74 patient care personnel will be working at two 30-bed units, as well as bolstering staff treating patients at the Mid City hospital’s ICU. Baton Rouge General was caring for 114 coronavirus patients requiring hospitalization. They’d discharged nearly 140 between Mid City and Bluebonnet hospital campuses by Sunday. Richardson compared the response to the pandemic as a war. “We don’t normally think of our doctors and nurses and respiratory therapists and medics having to be on the front line,” Richardson said. “That’s what’s happening.” The aim of the Navy’s presence will eventually see their corpsmen, nurses and doctors operate their own units and expand another unit for a total of 60 COVID-19 patients by this week. Navy Cmdr. David Volk, medical director of the deploying team, said he’s been surprised by the number of young and seemingly healthy people in his care while in New Orleans. “Normally, we can predict the people who are going to have requirements and outcomes,” Volk said. “But this is so new and so different, it’s very hard to predict these things.” The Navy’s presence has “been a huge relief,” Joni Lemoine, chief nurse at BRG. “They will be here with us hopefully until this pandemic ends.” Louisiana’s governor announced 29 more deaths on Sunday, bringing the toll to nearly 1,296. (Source: The Advocate 04/19/20) https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/coronavirus/article_c5371396-8263-11ea-86be-bbd562cf3b3b.html