In April 2020 NYC was overrun by COVID.
New York Presbyterian (NYP) Medical Center comprised of several hospitals including Columbia and Cornell, exceeded capacity with COVID patients and created an overflow location on their football field in a bubble. Through personal relationships it was proposed that a social media call be made to recruit SOF medics to staff the field hospital. NYP agreed and this successfully occurred and became the Ryan Larkin Field Hospital at NYP.
NOTE- the medics came outside their military status as volunteers, but were soon integrated into the NYP staff.
From that, NYP tasked some of the medics to run another COVID ward, but inside the Columbia University Milstein Hospital.
This is the remarkable story of SOF Medics working in conjunction with civilian providers to support this world class hospital during a surge.
This model is a feasible approach to address surge needs in the Nation to hire military medics to work to their capability and become force multipliers for our healthcare providers who become overwhelmed and understaffed. SOF and other mil medics are a trained and reliable force, who come to the fight with humility and willing to do what is needed to support patient care.
