Providence St. Mary receives government-funded nurses, CNA for COVID-19 surge

WALLA WALLA—Providence St. Mary Medical Center received contracted nursing support from the Washington State Department of Health and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to care for COVID-19 patients.

Four registered nurses and one certified nursing assistant (CAN) arrived on February 7 and will begin caring for patients Tuesday in the medical unit and the Intensive Care Unit. There may be an additional three CNAs sent to the hospital.

Providence St. Mary applied to DOH for assistance due to staffing challenges amid the recent surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations. The contract with DOH stipulates that the provided staff can only care for COVID-19 positive patients, with no exceptions. FEMA pays the salaries of these traveling nurses and CNAs.

“We are grateful to the Department of Health and FEMA for nursing support,” said Louise Dyjur, Chief Nursing Officer. “This will help us through the Omicron surge and provide much-needed relief for our caregivers who have worked so hard for so long during the pandemic.”

The government-funded nursing support will be at Providence St. Mary through March 3.