MURRAY, Utah — Utah frontline caregivers have received much-needed help in the fight against the COVID-19 surge in the form of nurses from New York City.
Intermountain Healthcare has welcomed 31 nurses from the New York-Presbyterian system who are now working in ICUs, emergency departments, and medical-surgical units across Utah.
The New York nurses were ready to hit the ground running.
“Now it’s our turn to come and help return the favor here,” Hallie Rector, an RN with Intermountain Healthcare, quoted her East Coast colleagues as saying. "The NYC nurses on this trip each volunteered to come for two weeks leaving their families and friends home in New York City.”
“A battle is easier won together," said Wen Hui Xiao, an RN with New York Presbyterian Hospital. "And it is the circle of trust and support that has kept us going.”
WATCH: COVID-19 nurses from Utah, NY reunite
The New York nurses are returning a favor made by Intermountain after it deployed two COVID-19 response teams to the New York City-area during that state's surge in April. With Utah facing a similar crisis, the team at New York-Presbyterian jumped into action.
Intermountain says bringing out-of-state medical professionals to Utah was part of the company's surge plan that it developed eight months ago. The system plans on hiring almost 200 more traveling nurses, along with adding ICU and medical-surgical beds.