In response to a request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state officials, approximately seventy Sailors from Expeditionary Medical Facility-L (Lima) deployed from Pensacola, Fl., to Texas, July 20, to support COVID-19 response operations in civilian hospitals.

One Acute Care Team (ACT) and four Rapid Rural Response Teams (RRRT) arrived as part of the whole-of-America response to the pandemic.  U.S. Northern Command is leading Department of Defense’s response operations in support of federal efforts in the state of Texas.

The ACT is a scaled, tailorable package designed to support urban hospitals with medical staff to augment 50-beds of acute or non-acute care. The ACT members include 4 physicians, 4 advance care practitioners, 2 certified registered nurse anesthetists, 24 nurses, 2 pharmacy officers, 2 advance x-ray technicians and 6 respiratory therapy technicians.

The RRRTs provide targeted rapid hospital support and stabilization during peak COVID-19 patient surges, with capacity to operate ventilated patients 24/7. The RRRT consists of 1 critical care physician, 5 critical care nurses and 1 respiratory therapy technician.

Navy medical personnel assigned to Expeditionary Medical Facility-M (Mike) were previously deployed in April to support civil health authorities in facilities in New Orleans and Dallas.