Medical Support Deployed to St Luke’s to Help with COVID Patients

According to a press release from CHI St. Luke's Health Memorial in Lufkin, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has requested that approximately 80 military medical personnel from across the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force, will be deployed or have been deployed to Texas as part of a Department of Defense COVID-19 response operation. U.S. Army North, the Joint Force Land Component Command of U.S Northern Command, will oversee the military COVID-19 response in support of federal efforts and the state.

“This is the fourth time Department of Defense medical assets have deployed to support our home state,” said Lt. Gen. Laura J. Richardson, ARNORTH and JFLCC commander. “While COVID-19 continues to challenge communities here and across the U.S., we remain steadfast in our support of our local, state and federal partners.”

The military medical personnel, including nurses, respiratory therapists and medical doctors, will support three hospitals in three Texas cities: Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene, CHI St. Luke’s Health - Memorial Hospital in Lufkin, and Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center in Eagle Pass.  These medical partners are expected to arrive at St Luke's in Lufkin on Thursday.  No time table has been released as to how long this medical support staff will stay in East Texas.

“As the National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness states, we can and we will beat COVID-19,” said Richardson. “This is truly a joint effort and I am confident that collectively our service members are up to the task.”

While ARNORTH continues to oversee multi-service military medical personnel in the Navajo Nation as well as in Yuma, Arizona, it has adjusted its support to Wisconsin and California.

On January 14, approximately 45 medical personnel concluded their deployment in Wisconsin after supporting four hospitals in four cities in the state.

On January 29, approximately 40 military medical personnel will also conclude their deployments at two hospitals in California: Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton and Dameron Hospital in Stockton. Approximately 185 military medical personnel, however, remain in California, supporting six hospitals in five cities in the state.

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Managing the operation for ARNORTH are elements of Task Force 46, formed primarily by the Michigan Army National Guard's 46th Military Police Command, which recently assumed command and control of the response from Task Force 51, ARNORTH’s forward-deployable headquarters.