The federal government granted Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s request for additional staffing support for Michigan hospitals, and a 22-person military medical team will support staff at Beaumont Hospital, Dearborn. The team of doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists will arrive the first week of December and provide support for 30 days.
Dingell requests increase in therapeutic and testing supplies
By SUE SUCHYTA
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN – Beaumont Hospital, Dearborn, will receive help from a 22-person federal military medical team for the month of December to support civilian medical personnel treating COVID-19 patients, state officials announced.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said Nov. 24 that Beaumont Hospital, Dearborn, and Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids each willreceive staffing help from a 22-person team of doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists for 30 days.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer expressed gratitude for the much-needed relief for frontline medical workers. She said the majority of the patients being treated have not been vaccinated or have not yet received their booster dose.
MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel urged Michigan residents to relieve the stress on health care workers by getting vaccinated, wearing masks in indoor public settings regardless of vaccination status, by social distancing, and by staying home and getting tested if they experience COVID-19 symptoms.
MDHHS has also asked the John Dingell Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Detroit to open beds for civilian transfers for the next 30 day, subject to extension.
Beaumont Health CEO John Fox said they deeply appreciate the support from Whitmer, MDHHS and the federal government as their staff battles the fourth surge of the pandemic.
“The virus has exhausted our teams and resulted in unprecedented staffing challenges at Beaumont Health and health systems across the state,” he said. “This pandemic is not over by any means. We must all work together to end this pandemic.”
Currently, the vast majority of the people hospitalized for COVID-19 are unvaccinated.
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-12th District) and U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-6th District) urged President Joseph Biden, in a Nov. 24 letter, to increase Michigan’s allocation of therapeutics, testing supplies and military medical personnel.
In the past week, Michigan reported more than 50,000 new COVID cases, which is the highest weekly caseload since the pandemic began.
The congress members urged the prioritization of monoclonal antibody treatments, specifically Regeneron, to combat the current COVID-19 surge in Michigan.
The letter also said Michigan currently has the highest number of COVID-19 cases per capita of any state. It is feared that holiday travel may worsen the current spread.