Skip to main content

Military Health System

Test of Sitewide Banner

This is a test of the sitewide banner capability. In the case of an emergency, site visitors would be able to visit the news page for addition information.

EACH celebrates National Nurses Week with a reflection on the pandemic

Image of Military health personnel inputting information into a computer. Army 1st Lt. Lauryn Hudgins, a 627th Hospital Center critical care nurse, inputs patient data July 10, 2020, at Baptist Hospital in San Antonio, Texas, in support of the Department of Defense COVID-19 response (Photo by: Luis A. Deya).

National Nurses' Week occurs every year starting May 6 and ending May 12 with the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birthday – the founder of modern nursing.

This year, National Nurses’ Week trails behind the one-year mark of COVID-19 operations and has many nurses reflecting on their experiences during the pandemic.

"Nurses' Week is an opportunity to honor and celebrate the art and science of nursing," said Army Maj. Victoria Salas, Evans Army Community Hospital (EACH) chief of nursing services. "It is an opportunity to celebrate the vast contributions nurses deliver in improving patient care and transforming healthcare."

Salas helped establish the Centralized Screening and Testing Center at EACH in March 2020. Over 30,000 COVID-19 tests have been conducted since its opening.

"This was an incredible experience to be a part of and is probably going to be one of the most memorable experiences that I take away," said Salas.

The fight against COVID-19 may have started within the walls of EACH, but several nurses, including Salas, soon answered the call at other locations.

The 627th Hospital Center at Fort Carson was tasked by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to send medical personnel to several locations in support of a Department of Defense COVID-19 response operation.

The 627th HC is comprised of a headquarters responsible for 12 multi-functional medical units capable of world-wide deployment to include a 148-bed field hospital, forward resuscitation surgical detachments, medical logistics company, preventative medicine, veterinary and optometry detachments.

Military personnel wearing face mask talking
Army Lt. Gen. Raymond Dingle, surgeon general of the U.S. Army (left), and Army Command Sgt. Maj. Diamond Hough, command sergeant major of the U.S. Army Medical Command (right) visit 627th Hospital Center soldiers providing medical support at BB&T Pavilion in Camden, New Jersey, in support of the Department of Defense COVID-19 response March 18, 2021 (Photo by: Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Zachary Zephir, Combat Logistics Battalion 22).

"As one of the largest and most deployed hospital centers during the pandemic, the (627th HC) has deployed five times in support of U.S. Army North and FEMA, supporting the American people across four different states," said Army Col. Hope Williamson-Younce, 627th HC commander. "The nurses deployed with the 627th Hospital Center's Urban Augmentation Medical Task Force (UAMTF)."

The UAMTF was tasked to support DOD COVID-19 operations in Seattle, Washington; San Antonio, Texas; Camden, New Jersey and Riverside, California.

Army Capt. Joseph Hargrave, the EACH Post Anesthesia Care Unit clinical nurse officer in charge, deployed three times with the 627th HC during this past year.

"San Antonio was the first mission (I had) where military personnel fell in on civilian hospitals and their staff," said Hargrave. "I was assigned to a 60-bed medical/surgical floor that was all COVID-19."

Hargrave was assigned three patients per shift in Texas and five patients per shift in California. He worked four, 12-hour shifts a week while on assignment in both locations.

"During both the San Antonio and Riverside deployments, staff and patients were extremely appreciative of our presence," said Hargrave.

Department of Inpatient Services Clinical Nurse Specialist at EACH, Army Maj. Wendy Hamilton, volunteered to recognize the nursing staff and build esprit de corps within the profession as this year's Nurses' Week chair.

"We have been meeting monthly (since October) to plan fundraising events as well activities for Nurses' Week," said Hamilton. "Our committee was dedicated to offering a wide spread of activities, at a variety of times, to hopefully encompass all of our nursing staff."

The week began with an opening ceremony on Thursday and will end with a closing ceremony Wednesday. The activities planned for the week include a scavenger hunt, meditation classes and a nursing Olympics event.

"Nurses are our tireless frontline heroes," said Hamilton. "They bring compassion and personal touch to medical care and they deserve to know that they make a difference."

You also may be interested in...

NMHM looks back at the 1918 ‘Spanish flu’ for one Maryland county

Article
8/19/2020
Black and white image of hospital beds lined up in rows, occupied by sick people

The 1918 flu resembled a more severe cold.

DOD Official Discusses Conditions-Based Reopenings, Future of Telework

Article
8/19/2020
Man in full PPE spraying down a chair with sanitizer

Esper was clear from the start about his priorities in a pandemic.

BAMC expands use of ECMO to treat severe COVID-19 patients

Article
8/18/2020
Medical personnel wearing masks, looking at paperwork on desk

This treatment...is used in the intensive care unit when a patient experiences heart and/or lung failure.

DHA proves power of collaboration in medical IT war games

Article
8/18/2020
Men and women in room sitting in front of their laptops

Open-source EHR proves worth in Coalition Warrior Interoperability Exercise

Air Force medics ‘go mobile’ to continue serving during COVID-19

Article
8/17/2020
Medical personnel wearing a mask, looking at a vial

With the outbreak of COVID-19, the 90th Medical Respiratory Clinic was created and designed to focus on patient care and safety.

Military Health System experts discuss COVID-19 innovations

Article
7/30/2020
Four men wearing masks, holding COVID-19 Airway Management Isolation Chamber

How quick thinking and new approaches are saving lives in the pandemic fight.

Military Medicine Joining Forces to Fight COVID-19 All Around the World

Article
7/17/2020
A group of military personnel posing for a picture

Multiple commands from the Navy and Air Force responded to the request with personnel from all over the country.

Innovative RX pad creates path for prescribing mobile health technology

Article
7/15/2020
Innovative RX pad creates path for prescribing mobile health technology

Technology and healthcare are constantly evolving fields.

U.S. Naval Hospital Guam Collects Convalescent Plasma from Sailors

Article
7/2/2020
Technician takes notes next to convalescent plasma samples.

The CCP is the liquid part of blood from patients who have recovered from an infection.

How the military stays ready during disease outbreaks

Article
6/29/2020
Headshot of Dr. Sanchez

A Q&A with a health surveillance professional at Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch

Defending the Homeland: A Determined Descendant and a Navy Hospital's Response to COVID-19

Article
6/9/2020
Image of Navy captain, wearing a mask, standing next to a piece of paper on the wall

Althoff and her team at the Quality Management directorate serve as a locus of coordination for clinical support operations.

Defending the Homeland: Putting talent to work

Article
6/5/2020
Three military personnel wearing masks

One seamstress took it upon herself to create face coverings for her colleagues.

DOD Establishes Collaborative Virus Genetic Sequencing Capability for COVID-19

Article
6/5/2020
Image of two scientists in masks looking at a computer monitor

COVID-19 sequencing process will provide military commanders and other DOD leadership with critical information to guide force health protection decision-making.

COVID-19: Lifestyle Tips to Stay Healthy

Article
5/22/2020
Eating right, physical activity, adequate rest and taking care of our mental health not only improves overall health and wellness, but also makes us more resilient during COVID-19.

As we move toward a third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the virus has changed many of our daily routines in ways no one anticipated and that have become the new normal.

CDC maintains childhood immunization guidelines during COVID-19

Article
5/1/2020
A child receives a vaccine during a visit to the clinic.

What you need to know about getting your child vaccinated

Page 15 of 15 , showing items 211 - 225
First < ... 11 12 13 14 15 > Last 
Refine your search
Last Updated: May 01, 2023
Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on YouTube Sign up on GovDelivery