SPOKANE, Wash. — A medical team available through the federal government is arriving at a Spokane care facility to help with COVID-19-related care on Wednesday.
The team of eight nurses and 10 certified nursing assistants (CNA) and eight nurses will be deployed to the Avalon Care Center in North Spokane. The medical staff are from ACI Federal, according to the Washington Department of Health (DOH). According to the DOH, these are not federal resources but available through a federal contract. Avalon Care Center will pay for the nurses.
This activation is the result of DOH’s U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) proposal submitted on Sept. 3, 2021. ACI staff support could potentially make about 22 beds available at area hospitals.
Gov. Jay Inslee sent a letter to the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients in September requesting federal staffing sources to support the Washington health care system in response to the increase of COVID-19 hospitalizations.
In the letter sent to Zients, Inslee requested federal staffing resources, including clinical and non-clinical staff to help Washington state meet staffing needs in hospitals and in long-term care facilities.
The Washington State Department of Health has requested 1,200 clinical and non-clinical staff through the General Services Administration contracting process offered through FEMA, according to the letter.
Inslee's office said the governor is not considering reactivating the Washington National Guard to reduce the burden on hospitals but he could take additional steps on vaccines if the stress remains too high.
The request was also submitted by Avalon Care Center and Spokane County Emergency Management.