PROVIDENCE, RI – Governor Dan McKee today issued the following statement on the announcement by President Joe Biden that Rhode Island has secured and will receive FEMA emergency medical personnel to support hospital staffing needs.
"We promised Rhode Islanders that we would pursue every resource to alleviate stress on our hospital system and support critical staffing needs. Yesterday, our whole of government COVID response team announced a series of initiatives and partnerships to help us make good on that promise.
As part of this comprehensive action plan, several weeks ago, I sent a letter to FEMA requesting emergency medical personnel to provide direct support to local hospitals. Our Administration worked closely with local hospital leadership to complete the application process.
Today, I am encouraged that President Biden has announced that Rhode Island will receive a team of FEMA emergency medical personnel arriving over the next couple of weeks.
I thank the President for recognizing the crucial need in Rhode Island and stepping up to ensure we were included as one of six states receiving this vital support."
The Governor's Office will provide additional details about the FEMA emergency medical personnel as we receive more information from our federal partners.