MDNG Medical Support Teams Assist Nursing Homes Throughout State

[vc_row 0=””][vc_column 0=””][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1590189478210{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”]By Sgt. Chazz Kibler, 29th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text 0=””]COVID-19 is a deadly virus that has claimed the lives of so many people across the world. But none have been more vulnerable during this pandemic than our sick and elderly. With nursing homes facing the threat of COVID-19 all across the state of Maryland, providing adequate care to those in need has been challenging. During this state of emergency, the Maryland National Guard is assisting nursing homes across the state to ensure facilities have everything they need to combat the COVID-19 virus.

“We’re making sure they have adequate PPE [personal protective equipment], and also, we’re making sure they have testing available that they need to test the residents as well as their employees,” said Lt. Col. Vincent Reed, a medical support team lead, and aeromedical physician assistant in the Maryland Army National Guard 29th Combat Aviation Brigade based in Edgewood, Maryland.

Reed said the MDARNG has assisted with COVID-19 screening at nursing home facilities as well.

“We’ve done a lot of testing,” said Reed. “Some places have needed more help with testing, and we’ve given them assistance in those cases.”

Reed mentioned that the MDARNG has also provided training to some nursing home personnel on how to administer a COVID-19 test properly.

“In those cases, we basically train the trainer,” said Reed. “In these unprecedented times, some staff at these nursing homes may not have the training to manage their facility during a pandemic.”

Additional information related to COVID-19 operations can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website, which provides health considerations and tools for working during this pandemic.

“My military training has prepared me for a situation like this because I work in a medical unit,” said Sgt. Dontrell Moaney, a health care specialist in the Maryland Army National Guard’s 104th Medical Company Area Support based in Reisterstown, Maryland. “As far as the MDARNG goes, we are always flexible and willing to adapt to the given situation as needed.”

In response to COVID-19, MDNG medical personnel have been activated to assist nursing homes throughout the state of Maryland. In addition, the MDNG has set up 250 beds for the Federal Medical Station at the Baltimore Convention Center, provided support for nine COVID-19 test sites, and distributed 14 million pieces of medical equipment and PPE to all 24 counties in Maryland.

“COVID-19 has affected me personally because it has separated me from my family,” said Moaney. “I don’t get to see them as often as I use to, but at the same time, it’s all for a good cause.”

Governor Hogan announced the formation of statewide teams, the first such effort in the nation, to provide support to nursing home facilities. The teams will be composed of members of the National Guard, representatives of local and state health departments, and EMS clinicians, as well as doctors and nurses from local hospital systems. These strike teams will be activated in response to requests from nursing homes, local health departments, and the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) infectious disease experts.

“These [nursing home] missions are very important because these places tend to be a vulnerable population,” said Reed. “Also, it’s a population of people that have a lot of comorbidities [the simultaneous presence of two chronic diseases or conditions in a patient].”

“For these individuals, the nursing home is their home,” added Reed. “Some of these people don’t have the option to go somewhere else.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only been trying for the residents of nursing home facilities, but it has also been difficult for the staff.

“The staff was really stressed,” said Dee Smith, an executive director and registered nurse for a nursing home in Baltimore. “And we were short-staffed too because the staff started getting sick, so, that hurt us.”

Smith said there were times when she felt overwhelmed due to the stress of her job. But as time went on, the morale for her and her staff had gradually picked up.

“Morale for us has been great,” said Smith. “I have the best team – I kid you not. When this pandemic hit, people just jumped in, and we were all working together as a team. We worked through it together, and morale has been great.”[/vc_column_text][vc_text_separator title=”View photos from the MDNG’s COVID-19 Response” css=”.vc_custom_1590189619375{margin-top: 5px !important;margin-bottom: 5px !important;border-top-width: 5px !important;border-bottom-width: 5px !important;padding-top: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;}”][vc_raw_html css=”.vc_custom_1590189642836{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row]