STANDING AT STRONG MEMORIAL HOSPITAL IN ROCHESTER, ONE OF THE HARDEST HIT HEALTH SYSTEMS IN UPSTATE NEW YORK, SCHUMER LAUNCHES MAJOR PUSH, CALLING ON FEDS TO DEPLOY MILITARY MEDICAL PERSONNEL TO COMBAT OMICRON SURGE; FEMA, DHHS, AND MILITARY MEDICAL TEAMS CAN PROVIDE ESSENTIAL STAFFING RELIEF & SUPPORT NEEDED ON THE FRONTLINES TO BEAT BACK RECENT COVID WAVE & KEEP UPSTATE NEW YORK COMMUNITIES SAFE

Statement

Standing shoulder to shoulder with frontline healthcare workers at University of Rochester Medical Center's (URMC) Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer launched a major push to get Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to deploy federal medical personnel to get the Finger Lakes and other hard hit areas Upstate New York the support it needs to combat the recent COVID surge. Specifically, Schumer urged FEMA to deploy flexible DoD Military Medical Teams (MMT), HHS Disaster Medial Assistance Teams (DMAT) and/or other federal medical personnel to help alleviate staff shortages and provide struggling healthcare workers essential relief.

"Upstate New York is on the front lines of the latest COVID surge, and with record high COVID case in Rochester, that means the federal government needs to step up deploy federal medical teams to give our Upstate healthcare workers the support they need to keep our communities safe," said Senator Schumer. "Our brave healthcare workers are working non-stop, and the recent surge has only increased the work load. Military Medical Teams and other federal medical professionals can provide a much-needed booster for our Upstate hospitals and give our doctors and nurses the relief they need. That is why I am calling on FEMA and the federal government to step up and swiftly deploy these troops to help our exhausted medical staff and emergency responders."

Source