Louisiana has asked for hundreds of healthcare workers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help address hospital staffing shortages as the state surpasses 100,000 known COVID-19 cases, according to The Advocate.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said that after talking with healthcare leaders, he requested nearly 700 healthcare workers, including 200 nurses and 250 intensive care unit nurses, the newspaper reports. Mr. Edwards also requested 150 patient care attendants, 30 licensed practical nurses, 10 lab technicians, 40 respiratory therapy technicians and 10 phlebotomists.
The request comes as hospitals in the state are experiencing staffing concerns. Manley Jordan, MD, CMO of Lake Charles (La.) Memorial Health System, told The Advocate he is concerned about ICU capacity as well as staffing, saying, "We're treading water." Additionally, Amanda Logue, MD, CMO of Lafayette (La.) General Health, said during a news conference with Mr. Edwards that "our hospital is full and our ICU is full."
Mr. Edwards extended the state's phase 2 reopening plan and the statewide mask mandate July 23, while reporting 2,408 new cases in Louisiana.
As of July 24, Louisiana has confirmed 101,650 COVID-19 cases, according to Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University's COVID-19 dashboard.
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