Hospital ship stopped treating patients, but still in L.A. for support

Six weeks after arriving in Los Angeles to help regional hospitals cope with the COVID-19 outbreak, hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH-19) discharged its final patient, according to an article on the USNI website.

Mercy hadn’t admitted new patients for treatment since April 30 “at the direction of” the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and U.S. Northern Command officials. The last patient was discharged on May 5.

Mercy arrived at the port March 27 to serve as a “relief valve” for state and local medical authorities who anticipated heavy demands on health facilities from the widening coronavirus pandemic. 

Last month, some of Mercy’s medical personnel were assigned off the ship. About 40 personnel continue to support state health care providers while assigned to a skilled nursing facility in nearby Orange County.

Read the article.