Five ORMC nurses bravely volunteered to travel to Boston, Massachusetts on Friday afternoon to help other Steward Health Care hospitals that are on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. A sendoff will take place at the Midland International Airport on April 10 at 1 pm.

“Our community has managed through this pandemic very well,” said Jami Chapman, Director of Medical and Surgery Services at Odessa Regional Medical Center. “The people of the Permian Basin are being more cautious and our hospitals have not been overrun. As I am sure everyone is aware of, other parts of the US cannot say the same, and Boston is one of them”

Boston has seen a 33% increase in the number of Coronavirus over the course of three days, quickly overrunning area hospitals with patients. As a result, Steward Health Care, owner of Odessa Regional Medical Center, sent out a request for volunteers within the Steward system to help with the rising demand for frontline providers in the area. However, this will not affect ORMC’s ability to provide care to the patients in Odessa and the surrounding areas.

“Projections done by several academic institutions put our region in COVID’s path between May to August,” said Dr. Rohith Saravanan, Chief Medical Officer at Odessa Regional Medical Center. “These are just predictions, but they are based on the data we have so far from other regions that have already gone through this.”

ORMC would like to invite the community to show support for these nurses with white ribbons that can be placed outside homes, put on car antennas, or pinned to clothing. Supporters are encouraged to share photos by tagging the hospital on social media platforms for these brave young women to see.

“Our ORMC family could not be more proud of these nurses who have stepped in, put their lives and their families on hold, to go to the front lines of our hospitals in Boston to help their fellow Steward employees though this crucial time,” said Stacey Brown, President at Odessa Regional Medical Center. “Steward has nurses from other markets doing the same which highlights one of the many values of being part of a large healthcare system. Those other facilities will be there for ORMC too, if and when we need their help. Kudos to these brave ORMC nurses!”