The Ohio National Guard has arrived in Lima to address staff shortages and patient load at Mercy Health St. Rita's Medical Center.
On Thursday morning, members from the guard were introduced to the hospital and underwent training. A total of 20 guard members will assist St. Rita's.
"They are going to be able to be a really wonderful and much needed extra set of hands on the nursing units, so that they can really assist those bedside care givers and give them a much needed break." said Ronda Lehman, President of Mercy Health Lima.
Ten members are medially trained and will assist caregivers in the hospital, the other ten will help in other areas that require assistance in the hospital.
The guard comes at a time of high numbers of COVID-19 patients in Lima.
"We are seeing overall a high volume of patients, and that is coupled with both staff shortages as well as staff illnesses," stated Lehman. "Just like the rest of the world, we are seeing a lot of illnesses in our staff as well."
Lehman also said that their help will allow the hospital to continue to provide service to patients without any interruptions.
"Certainly it's been a long haul these past several years," said Lehman. "Any help that we can have provided to us, whether that's through temporary agency staffing or the national guard, its much needed and appreciated."
