NavMed hospital ship departs for PR

PORTSMOUTH, Va. – Some 750 doctors, nurses, hospital corpsmen, and support personnel from across Navy Medicine East (NME) commands embarked aboard the Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) Sept. 29-30 in support of the military’s response to hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico. The ship departed from Naval Station Norfolk on Sept. 30. The numbers of personnel completed the medical manning needs to support the 250-bed ship. The regional personnel come from 11 different Navy medicine facilities, including 19 from Naval Hospital Pensacola, Fla. “We are a ready medical force,” said Rear Adm. Anne Swap, NME commander, “which includes responding when called upon to provide humanitarian assistance.” NME is headquartered in Portsmouth, Va., and serves the NavMed health care system in the eastern U.S., Europe, Africa and the Middle East. (Source: Navy Medicine East 09/28/17) Gulf Coast Note: Rear Adm. Swap is a former director for administration at NH Pensacola.