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Press Release | April 16, 2020

USNORTHCOM establishes conditions-based national medical approach

U.S. Northern Command Public Affairs

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo.  –  

U.S. Northern Command, the Department of Defense's lead for COVID-19 operations in the United States, in support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has established a new expeditionary medical concept of operations in support of more than a dozen states.

Based on updated assessments of COVID-19 spread and lessons learned in New York City, a flexible, adaptive, three-pronged approach was developed to best apply DoD medical capabilities. This approach consists of three employment options:

1) Embedding DoD medical professionals in hospitals experiencing staff shortages
2) Extending capacity at civilian hospitals by providing modular DoD medical capabilities
3) Operating from a fully equipped alternate care facility.

This new expeditionary medical approach is being applied in several cities across the Nation. Specifically,

  • Medical teams are operating in, or preparing to deploy to, several areas in the Northeast, including two in Pennsylvania, three in New Jersey, 11 in New York, one in Stamford, Connecticut and two in Boston.
  • To meet needs in Baton Rouge, La., 22 Expeditionary Medical Facility personnel currently serving in New Orleans will forward deploy to the Baton Rouge Mid City Hospital, providing embedded medical support.
  • In Detroit, Mich., military medical personnel are currently receiving patients at the TCF Center.
  • The USNS Mercy, deployed to Los Angeles, remains available to support the local health system as requested.

U.S. Northern Command personnel are providing robust, flexible medical capability to assist with the whole-of America fight against COVID-19, while defending the homeland.

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For more information about USNORTHCOM, visit http://www.northcom.mil  
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