MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Florida National Guard doctors, nurses and medics joined Florida International University (FIU) at the Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC) to conduct refresher training to prepare for receiving patients at the alternate care facility.
The Guard partnered with the university to provide “just in time training” so that providers from different specialties could refresh their knowledge in several areas, including proper personal protective equipment wear, medical procedures and several other necessary tasks specific to the COVID-19 response.
“We came to an agreement based on needs so that everyone would be on the same page due to providers being from different backgrounds, like primary care providers and flight medics,” said Henry Henao, director of the Simulation Teaching and Research Center at FIU. “Working with the Guard has been an honor and everyone has been really appreciative and understanding of what we are trying to accomplish here.”
FIU had several staff members and students volunteer from the Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences to partner with the Florida Guard. FIU has partnered with the Guard during other missions, such as Exercise Patriot Sands, a joint-service emergency and natural disaster response exercise.
Each refresher station lasted 30 minutes and concentrated on a specific topic like cardiopulmonary resuscitation and complete emergency situations.
“We all have various skill sets, and our goal is to form teams to be completely prepared to accept patients,” said Florida Air Guard Lt. Col. Kevin Fitzgerald, 125th Fighter Wing flight surgeon. “FIU did an excellent job putting this refresher together. They are all volunteers and it’s amazing that they came to teach us what they know to help us keep their community safe.”
The Florida National Guard has more than 2,300 Guard members on duty in support of Florida’s COVID-19 response, part of a force of about 36,750 National Guard members assisting nationwide. Florida Soldiers and Airmen are operating nine community-based testing sites where they have collected more than 50,000 samples. In addition, the Guard is deploying mobile teams to carry out COVID-19 testing at assisted living communities and is supporting the Florida Department of Health’s screening operations at seven Florida airports.