GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — At the height of the pandemic, nearly 300 National Guard members were deployed to skilled nursing facilities across the state.
Now, after three months of helping relieve the pressures of the pandemic, some of them are saying goodbye.
Dorothea Horschak is a resident at Odd Fellow Rebekah Home Association.
She admitted she was sad to see the eleven national guard members leave.
“Its going to be hard because they were there Johnny on the Spot,” said Horschak.
National Guard member James Henkel says the feeling is mutual.
“We have had a ton of fun making good relationships with the staff here and as well as that with the patients and residents and talking to them and hearing their backgrounds and being able to help out as much as we could,” said Henkel.
He never thought he’d be serving the country in this capacity, but is glad he could help.
“I enlisted in the infantry so coming here and being a CNA was nowhere near a thought for me,” said Henkel.
“The pandemic was on the downhill and the numbers were getting better but our next challenge was staffing,” said CEO of Odd Fellow, Charlene Everett.
Everett says with the National Guard’s help, the facility was able to admit 74 more people this year.
Like many other facilities in the state Odd Fellow was struggling.
She says March was the first month in a year and a half they’ve shown profit.
“Without their help would it have been a different story?” asked Fox 11.
“Totally, totally we had a wing closed and we are looking towards a second. With their help we were able to move things around so that we can enjoy a healthier census,” said Everett.
Jon Meiman, State Epidemiologist and Chief Medical Officer for Department of Health Services says that goal was reached.
When the trained CNA’s deployed they were able to open 268 beds at the height of the latest winter surge.
“Why are the national guard members leaving now. Is it because COVID-19 is slowing down or because the homes were able to hire more help?” asked Fox 11.
“A combination of both. The acute need when we had a high number of patients in the hospital is not there now,” said Meiman, “Healthcare staffing is still a challenge throughout the health system but facilities and health systems are having a little more success with hiring.”
Horschak says she and others at Odd Fellow say it was a mission well done.
Right now, about 260 National Guard members are deployed statewide. They are all leaving throughout this week.
