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Strong Hospital to get help from military medical teams

Strong Memorial Hospital at the University of Rochester Medical Center will place more than 1,500 employees on furlough starting Sunday, the medical center said.
urmc.rochester.edu
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Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester will be receiving help from the federal government in the form of two U.S. Department of Defense military medical teams beginning in February.

That’s according to statements issued Monday by Governor Kathy Hochul and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.

The officials had asked for the help to aid with the surge in COVID-19 cases over the last couple of months.

Hochul said that SUNY Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse will also get help from the military medical teams. The new teams are estimated to have 20 members each including physicians, nurses, respiratory technicians and command staff.

They will be mobilized for about 30 days.

Hochul said the resources announced Monday build upon existing assets from the federal government already deployed in New York State, including Military Medical Teams at Erie County Medical Center, one at North Central Bronx and one at Coney Island in New York City.

Schumer visited the University of Rochester Medical Center in January and he said he had written to the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) asking for the additional help from the military medical teams.

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.