The Cleveland Clinic has sent 13 nurses to Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit for COVID-19 response assistance and relief.
The nurses departed from Avon Hospital in Ohio on Wednesday. They will spend up to four weeks at various Henry Ford Hospital locations treating COVID-19 patients, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
This video shows their sendoff:
On Wednesday, Henry Ford Health System announced that it would be laying off about 2,800 workers temporarily due to the coronavirus pandemic, while executives will donate a percentage of their salary to help workers.
These furloughed employees work at the health system’s six hospitals. Officials said they are not directly involved in patient care and work in areas where workloads have been drastically reduced or where operations have been temporarily closed.
According to officials, the health system lost $43 million in operating income in March, and that loss is expected to be even greater in April.
Officials cite the postponement and cancellation of services and procedures, temporary site closures, and an increased need for resources to care for COVID-19 patients, including personal protective equipment for team members as reasons for the losses.
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Detroit has been one of the hardest hit areas in the United States by the pandemic with more than 8,000 confirmed cases and 700 deaths as of Wednesday, April 22.