Guard and other resources deploy to help Wyoming hospitals

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (KIFI/KIDK)-Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon has authorized a three-pronged approach to provide additional support to the state's medical facilities.

With hospitalizations at record levels and increasing rapidly, several Wyoming hospitals have expanded capacity to meet the influx of COVID-19 patients. Several are at capacity for ICU beds.

"We have had to call upon resources from outside the state to help deal with this surge in hospitalizations," said Gordon. "Many thanks to the National Guard for answering our call to help in our hospitals. I also want to express my deepest gratitude to our frontline healthcare workers. Help is on the way.”

Two Health and Medical Task Force teams from the National Disaster Medical System will deploy to Campbell County Memorial in Gillette and Cheyenne Regional Medical Center to respond to COVID-19.

The Wyoming National Guard will augment hospital staff by delivering meals and other activities to free up medical staff. 10 guard members will be assisgned to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center for 30 days.

Traveling medical staff has also begun to arrive in Wyoming. The Governor authorized $10 million in CARES Act funding to the Wyoming Hospital Association to coordinate the effort.

Gordon said as many as 50 additional personnel are expected to be deployed throughout the state by the end of the week to provide staffing relief in hospitals.

As a part of Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) efforts to support Wyoming hospital capacity, the department has been in contact on an ongoing basis with Wyoming hospitals to discuss hospital capacity and surge plans.

“Consistently we have been informed by hospitals that availability of medical personnel, specifically nurses, is their largest concern,” said Dirk Dijkstal, Health Readiness and Response Section chief with WDH.