National Guard Reports for Duty at ChristianaCare

January 11, 2022

At 7:30 a.m. today, the National Guard arrived in uniform at Christiana and Wilmington hospitals and got right to work. They lifted and transported patients, sanitized rooms and equipment, delivered meals and provided other much-needed backup support to ChristianaCare caregivers stretched thin by the surge in COVID-19 cases.

Nurse Manager Brenda DiSabatino, MSN, RN, RN-BC, welcomed and assigned National Guard troops who are providing much-needed backup support for caregivers at Christiana and Wilmington hospitals.

The National Guard is a unique element of the U.S. military that serves both community and country, including response to domestic emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic. In partnership with the State of Delaware and the Delaware Emergency Management Agency, Guard soldiers have been deployed at hospitals throughout Delaware and will remain on duty as long as needed.

Hospitals are seeing the highest volume of patients since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020. The Guard’s service allows doctors, nurses and other clinical caregivers to keep their focus on patient care — especially critical as the surge has impacted the caregiver workforce as well.

“We are grateful to this team of professionals for their dedication and willingness to step up to help us care for our fellow Delawareans,” said Ken Silverstein, M.D., MBA, chief physician executive at ChristianaCare.

“Needing to call in military reserves for assistance illustrates the severity of this health care crisis.”