HARRISBURG — The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and the Department of State announced recently that a U.S. Army Reserve task force of 85 medical specialists has arrived in Pennsylvania to assist civilian health care professionals with the care of coronavirus patients. They will be deployed wherever they are needed.
“We are extremely grateful to have these highly skilled military medical professionals serving on the frontlines, side-by-side with our brave civilian health care practitioners, as we wage war against this highly contagious and life-threatening virus,” Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar said.
The Army has mobilized 1,275 Reserve medical specialists into 15 “Urban Augmentation Medical Task Forces” to reinforce civilian health care in areas that are experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases.
Each medical task force consists of 14 physicians, including an infectious disease specialist and four respiratory specialists; 16 medics; 13 nurses; five physician assistants; two dentists; four pharmacists; two clinical psychologists; one psychiatrist; two occupational therapy specialists; four dietitians and other supporting staff that can perform low-triage care and test for COVID-19.
The first members of the unit arrived in Pennsylvania on April 16 to visit sites and coordinate with the commonwealth’s departments of State, Health, Human Services, Military and Veterans Affairs, and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. This advance visit ensured the full unit could move swiftly into action once they arrived.
This task force will fall under the control of the dual status command recently established within the Pa. National Guard.
“This is a great example of how different areas of federal and state government can seamlessly combine during an emergency to aid our citizens,” said Maj. Gen. Anthony Carrelli, Pennsylvania’s adjutant general and head of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. “The Urban Augmentation Medical Task Force will provide a tremendous capability to supplement the critical medical staff within our most affected areas of the commonwealth.”
The Department of State (DOS) waived certain professional licensing requirements to ensure that these military medical professionals, who already hold a license in at least one state or a federal license from the United States Armed Forces, can lawfully provide medical and other health care services in Pennsylvania.
