HONOLULU – More than 80 medical workers funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have arrived in Hawaii to provide assistance to frontline caregivers at The Queen’s Health Systems during this current COVID-19 surge.
This first wave of nurses and respiratory therapists arrived over the weekend and will be assigned to units such as the Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit, and medical-surgical units caring for COVID patients. They will work for approximately 8 weeks.
The breakdown of staffing is as follows:
The Queen’s Medical Center – Punchbowl
The Queen’s Medical Center – West O‘ahu
Queen’s North Hawaii Community Hospital
Molokai General Hospital
Total
63
15
2
1
81
“We are once again very appreciative of the federal government’s support in providing aid to help us through this surge,” said Jill Hoggard Green, PhD, RN President and Chief Executive Officer of The Queen’s Health Systems. “This team of nurses and respiratory therapists will provide much needed help to our caregivers who have been working tirelessly for the last 18 months. They have sacrificed so much of themselves and we are so appreciative of their efforts. We would also like to thank our State partners and the Healthcare Association of Hawaii for their work in making this happen.”
Hawaii will receive $46 million in federal funding to bring in the more than 500 traveling healthcare workers for hospitals statewide through staffing services from ProLink Healthcare.
