Dutchess, Ulster Need Your Help to Help Fight COVID-19
Ulster and Dutchess Counties are seeking coronavirus help from local residents.
Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan announced the Ulster County Department of Health is now actively seeking doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to assist in the county’s response to COVID-19.
“As we build out additional hospital capacity to serve our residents, we are also going to need volunteers with medical backgrounds to step up and serve our community,” Ryan said. “Our healthcare workers have been on the front lines of this epidemic since day one and their efforts are nothing short of heroic. I continue to be tremendously impressed by the resiliency and generosity of the people of Ulster County, and I am confident that members of our community will step up to assist us at this critical moment.”
Ulster County is hoping to recruit local, regional, and statewide volunteers to assist its health care system. The statewide database ServNY is also being utilized to surface and recruit volunteers. The announcement is specifically seeking licensed medical and health care volunteers, including retired health care professionals.
“We are continuing to use data on the ground, as well as learn from other areas impacted by COVID-19, to monitor and adjust our response daily,” Commissioner of Health Dr. Carol Smith said. “We are looking to add to our pool of health care professionals to ensure that we have adequate staff no matter how the situation unfolds in the upcoming weeks. We are continuing to work around the clock to ensure that Ulster County is prepared for any scenario.”
Those who are interested in volunteering should fill out the form found here.
The Medical Reserve Corps of Dutchess County is coordinating the volunteer response in Dutchess County. Medical volunteers are always appreciated, but no medical background is needed to register.
MRC volunteers have already been deployed to:
- Staff the County's Coronavirus Call Center
- Help drive food and medicine to those in isolation
- Assemble PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) kits and other logistic support
You can sign up at dutchessny.gov/dutchessresponds.