University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey, is understaffed and overwhelmed. Troops are plugging the gaps and improving care. Picture: BLOOMBERG
Hospitals are overwhelmed and understaffed after the raging Omicron variant swept the US over the holidays. Though the variant doesn’t appear to cause more severe cases, it’s infected more people than any other wave. As of February 4, more than 2,400 people remain hospitalised for Covid-19 across New Jersey. Though that’s a large improvement from more than 6,000 just weeks ago, it’s triple the number before Thanksgiving.
The community that the hospital serves is among the most vulnerable to Covid-19: Many are essential workers, live in close quarters or multigenerational households, have underlying conditions or qualify for Medicaid. Eight-in-10 are people of colour. As a so-called “safety net” hospital, University sees patients regardless of insurance status — up to 15% receive charity care.
When major Marshall Glenister arrived with his medical team on January 20, University’s remaining staff greeted them in the outdated lobby with cheers. After an orientation, Glenister worked with civilian administrators to deploy the troops throughout the hospital’s hardest-hit units. The soldiers integrated themselves quickly, said Ana Gehan, University Hospital’s assistant director for nursing and the emergency department, which had been assigned seven. When a patient’s heart stopped, “the military was right there,” she said, “They jumped in, hand-in-hand with our staff, on their first real day on the job.”
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