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Reflection Working Alongside the Ohio National Guard in a Community ED During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Working Alongside the Ohio National Guard in a Community ED During the COVID-19 Pandemic
By Ariel Klusty, DO, and Alison Southern, MD, MSEd
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals have been focused on ensuring they have adequate supplies and resources to meet increased patient care demands, while also combating staffing shortages. In December 2021, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced that Ohio COVID-19 hospital admissions had hit an all-time high with more than 4,700 hospitalizations — an average of one in five people. With inadequate resources and staffing, many hospitals were spread thin and were nearing a crisis in patient care. In hopes of relieving the burden of the pandemic surge on hospitals, on December 17, 2021, Governor DeWine deployed members of the Ohio National Guard to hospitals located in the Cleveland, Akron, and Canton areas. The deployments included medical, transport, and domestic/environmental duties. As a first-year emergency medicine resident in Canton, Ohio, I had the privilege of personally working alongside these guard members and wanted to share their experiences. After contacting the Ohio National Guard Public Affairs Department, I was granted the opportunity to interview some of the guard members deployed in our hospital.
Sergeant Christopher Ogle
For Sergeant Ogle, a combat medic, who has served almost six years in the military. For Sergeant Ogle, a combat medic, who has served almost six years in the military, this was not his first pandemic deployment. His prior deployments
consisted of assisting COVID-19 testing centers and federal prisons. In our hospital, he helped relieve our staffing shortage by carrying out duties similar to an emergency department technician. He worked in triage performing EKGs, recording vital signs, and collecting blood work. He also assisted in patient transport. When asked to describe his experience, Sergeant Ogle had only positive recollections. He felt welcomed by both patients and staff. He was also able to refine his skills acquired in his military training by applying them in our emergency department. Sergeant Ogle further stated that he was able to gain new skills from the emergency nurses such as how to float an IV. When asked what he felt was the Ohio National Christopher Ogle Guard’s most significant impact in our hospital, he responded, “taking the burden off the nurses.” With Sergeant Ogle helping the emergency department
team, this enabled nurses to focus their time on critically ill patients. Overall, he stated that his one-month experience in our hospital increased his interest in pursuing a career as a paramedic.
Corporal Dalton Ray
Corporal Ray, a six-year military medic, had a similar experience in our community emergency department. He felt
Dalton Ray that by helping the staff in triage, he was able to assist in ensuring that all patients received appropriate medical care in a timely manner. Moreover, he stated that he felt he was trained efficiently and effectively in triage management by our emergency department staff.
Sergeant Dawn McGuire
For Sergeant McGuire, her deployment struck closer to home. For 15 years, Sergeant McGuire has been enlisted in the Air
Dawn McGuire Force National Guard, and despite her multiple deployments, this was her first local deployment. This was special to Sergeant McGuire because not only was she able to give back to her hometown community, but she was also able to work alongside her mother, an employee in our hospital. Contrary to her role as a paramedic, Sergeant McGuire was deployed to our hospital as a nonclinical staff member, and she was assigned to work in our environmental service department. By assisting with the cleaning of nonCOVID-19 rooms, Sergeant McGuire helped allow our trained environmental service employees to focus on sanitation of COVID-19 rooms.
Arielle McFadden
Arielle McFadden, one of our nurses, also had a positive experience with the National Guard deployment. She felt the National Guard’s biggest impact was in triage. By helping with patient centered tasks such as EKGs and blood work, Arielle personally felt that our emergency department was able to care for more patients in a timely manner, thus allowing our hospital to function as efficiently as possible. Moreover, for some, the guard members were the first medical personnel patients encountered in our hospital. According to Arielle, once patients found out the National Guard was present in our hospital, their attitudes toward their care changed — they were more interested and appreciative. She further felt that it helped patients understand the severity of the pandemic.
Overall, the deployment of the Ohio National Guard not only supplied aid to our hospital in our time of need, but it also provided a positive experience for the guard members and hospital staff interviewed. If the Ohio National Guard were to be called upon again during this pandemic, I asked our guard members
how community emergency departments could better prepare for their services in the future. The resounding consensus was for hospitals to supply clearly defined positions and tasks for military personnel. This would ensure guard members as well as hospital employees are aware of all duties, thus ultimately Arielle McFadden allowing the medically trained guard members to be utilized to their greatest potential. Moreover, the guard members recommended having an orientation which would allow guard members to have a smooth and efficient transition into future hospital systems.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Dr. Klusty is an emergency medicine resident (PGY-1) at Aultman Hospital in Canton, Ohio.
Dr. Southern is the program director for Aultman Emergency Medicine, Canton, Ohio, and an associate professor of emergency medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University.
