United Airlines has partnered with New York City to provide free, round-trip flights for healthcare workers coming to help fight COVID-19, since New York is the “epicenter” of the virus.
And over the weekend they flew out 20 doctors and nurses from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center to help the city’s own New York-Presbyterian (NYP) serve coronavirus patients.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that 12 doctors and eight nurses from UCSF just began a “month-long voluntary assignment to serve patients in the New York-Presbyterian hospital system.” The nurses are all at NYP’s Queens location, as its VP & Chief Nursing Officer also expressed his thanks via social media.
“This is an opportunity for UCSF to support our health care colleagues on the front lines in New York City,” said UCSF Hospital Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Josh Adler. “We remain focused on our patients here in San Francisco, and are very well resourced with health care workers should we face a surge ourselves, even with our volunteers in New York. But our present capacity allows us to extend our public health mission to those who are facing some of the country’s most challenging conditions during this pandemic.”
According to a press release, the workers specialize in critical care, hospital medicine and emergency medicine and were selected from more than 150 nurses and 50 physicians who volunteered for the assignment.
The hospitals even had a sweet exchange via Twitter:
Sending a heartfelt #ThankYou to @UCSFHospitals for standing with our #NYPHeroes in the fight against #COVID19. https://t.co/NYtLI5MBEF
— NewYork-Presbyterian (@nyphospital) April 13, 2020
And, while on the flight, the volunteers got a special shoutout from NBA superstar Stephen Curry! Check it out here:
This is why we fly.
20 UCSF Health workers, who voluntarily set aside their own lives to help save lives, are on their way to New York City.
We are humbled by your selfless sacrifice.
Thank you. #UnitedTogether #UCSFHeroes @UCSFHospitals @StephenCurry30 pic.twitter.com/KhOhN1Veq7
— United Airlines (@united) April 12, 2020
featured image source: UCSF