Baptist Health Lexington getting help from Kentucky National Guard

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - As we continue to set records with hospitalizations, one of Lexington largest hospitals will be getting some help from the National Guard.

Baptist Health had already said they were reducing elective surgeries. Now, we’ve learned they are also postponing any nonessential surgery that would require someone to be admitted into the hospital afterward.

They will be getting some help managing those rising numbers.

Baptist Health officials tell us 15 members of the Kentucky National Guard guard will be coming to the hospital next week to assist them in a non-clinical fashion. They’ll be helping with things like environmental services, patient transport, a d screening of visitors at entryways.

The hospital says that should let some staff members get back to their normal jobs.

“That would be the hope. That we would be able to free up some of our staff. We’d be able to do things may be a little more efficiently and maybe fill in areas where staff has been pulled to go ahead and make sure we’re doing our vital normal operating functions,” said Dr. Greg Repass, Baptist Health.

A spokesperson with the National Guard told us they anticipate being at the hospital for several weeks, but that timeline would largely depend on the surge.

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