FEMA Approves Governor Mills' Request for Federal COVID-19 Surge Response Team for Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston
Press Release
Governor Janet Mills announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved her request for a Federal COVID-19 Surge Response Team on behalf of Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston (CMMC).
Beginning February 1, 2022 and through March 2, 2022, up to 20 military medical personnel from the U.S. Department of Defense -- including physicians, nurses, and respiratory technicians -- will supplement existing staff at CMMC to provide care for those with COVID-19 and other serious medical issues. They will follow a separate federal team of four clinicians administering vaccines at CMMC who arrived earlier this month and are due to depart today.
Additionally, Governor Mills announced that FEMA has also approved her request for a 30-day extension of the Federal ambulance teams currently in Maine, as well as a request for a new ambulance team on behalf of Cary Medical Center in Caribou. This additional crew will also serve other hospitals in Aroostook County, including Northern Maine Medical Center in Fort Kent, Northern Light A.R. Gould Hospital in Presque Isle, and Houlton Regional Hospital in Houlton. Without the 30-day extension, the teams currently in Maine were otherwise scheduled to leave today.
The ambulance teams are assisting Maine emergency medical services (EMS) crews with non-emergency transportation of patients among facilities to match patients with open beds and ensure they are treated in the facility that best meets their health care needs.
"Maintaining critical care capacity is crucial as we continue to confront the Omicron variant," said Governor Janet Mills. "I thank the Federal government for their approval of these additional clinicians and ambulance crews who will provide care to Maine people, and I remain grateful to our health care workers and National Guard members who are working hard to keep Maine people healthy and alive."
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