Military Medical Workers to Assist Confluence Health with COVID-19 Patients

Federal Emergency Management Agency or FEMA is deploying 40 military medical personnel for both Confluence Health and Spokane hospital, Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center.

A team consisting of 20 US Navy personnel, including nurses and respiratory therapists, will be stationed at Confluence Health in Wenatchee.

The military medical team will assist the Confluence Health healthcare workers in the COVID unit.

The FEMA response is coming almost a month after Governor Jay Inslee requested federal military assistance during a rapid spike in virus hospitalizations in the state.

The most recent numbers from Confluence Health show its hospital has 42 patients, with eight in intensive care. Two of the patients are from region in Yakima and Spokane counties.

Many Washington hospitals have been dealing with staffing shortages since the pandemic began. A requirement for all health care workers in the state to be fully vaccinated went into effect Monday. People who are against the mandate have been predicting it will lead to an even more acute shortage of medical workers.

The two military teams coming to Washington are being deployed along with nine other teams going to Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and neighboring Idaho.