Southern New Hampshire Medical Center received some welcomed support from the National Guard to alleviate the workload on staff as the COVID surge continues, and increased health care needs are extremely high. The team arrived on January 13
th and will be on site through February. The National Guard team is working alongside SNHMC staff to help the COVID testing process, door screening/greeting, food service, patient transportation, employee health needs, materials management, and more.
Meet a few members of the National Guard team:
Airman Jasmine Brown, deployed in Employee Health, from Londonderry, New Hampshire
“I’m answering phones, and taking down messages so nurses can call employees back. We want to make sure everyone who calls can talk to someone and not an answering machine. A lot of people call and ask if they should come to Employee Health for help, or a household family member has COVID and what they should do. We try to answer all of their questions to make sure they are coming to work healthy,” said Airman Brown. “I’m a freshman at University of New Hampshire… undeclared but looking into environmental sustainability. My sister also works on the cardiac floor here at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center.”
Joanie Basta, Director of Employee Health & Wellness said, “Airman Brown is a delight to have in the office. She’s professional, personable, and displays and excellent work ethic. She is always willing to jump in where needed and has a true dedication to a ‘job well done’. She has been a great support to Employee Health during these very challenging times and we are honored and grateful to have her.”
Airman Matt Gould, deployed in the Radiology Department, from Nashua, New Hampshire and born at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center
“The staff has honestly been amazing, very helpful and very professional. They have been kind of taking me under their wing, showing me the ropes and what to do,” said Airman Gould.
“Airman Gould has been a joy to work with. It's been a big relief for our hospital to have their assistance during this time. He is training to be an EMT, so he fits right in with our staff, and knows how to talk with patients. He has great attention to detail and is eager to assist with any task at hand,” said Kyla Thompson, RN Clinical Manager for Radiology.
Airman Marcus Herold, deployed in Food Services, from Nashua, New Hampshire
Airman Herold said, “I appreciate all that health care workers are doing. I know they are struggling, and it’s really nice to be able to help. I am doing some easier and more time-consuming tasks to free up staff for other work. Everyone here is friendly and welcoming.”
Jason Carter, Director of Food Services and Environmental Services said, “Airman Herold has been a tremendous help to our team. Our staff are appreciative to have him with us, and they have shared that it is has been a great experience to work with him.”
The Medical Center has received assistance beyond the National Guard. Additional deployed caregivers from outside the hospital are serving as paramedics for the Emergency Department at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center, and another member is serving at a COVID antibody clinic. This team is embedded at the Medical Center for two weeks. Meet two members of the Emergency Department team:
Alexus Rinehart, from Ohio, is a firefighter when home.
Paige Healey is from New Jersey.
We are grateful for all of this support. With the help of these teams, our staff and providers have expanded capacity to focus on patients even more.