Hospital Rescue

Always Ready; Always There… to provide free manual labor to Ohio’s multi-billion-dollar health care industry.

Merry Christmas, troops.

By Colonel Six, Defend Ohio News Group

11:45 AM ET, Friday, December 17, 2021

Ohio’s hospitals are experiencing a dire shortage of medical personnel, the likes of which is unprecedented. To ensure that these private organizations can keep up with the latest Covid-19 surge, Governor Mike DeWine has ordered over one thousand Ohio National Guard troops to state active duty service. The troops, of which only around 10% are trained medical professionals, will be assigned throughout Ohio hospitals to provide the relief needed after the toll that Covid has taken on every business in the private and public sector. This announcement from the Adjutant General’s office comes directly after his annual media-friendly holiday message to the troops. In it, he speaks of the over-burdening of our Soldiers and families that has been placed on them from years of deployments and homeland missions like natural disasters and the pandemic. And then, with the same pen, he signed the paperwork to ensure 1,050 of our Soldiers will miss Christmas with their children once again this year.

While this mission was likely conceived in good faith and intention, there is still a foul aftertaste. Our Soldiers were notified at the last minute that they’re being taken away from their families for the holidays, all while these plans have been in the works for quite awhile. For many Soldiers, this is the second straight Christmas they’ll miss with their children. Who knows, maybe the third. And while the “rescuing hospitals” headline may warm the heart, the reality is that until we hear different, this is free (mostly manual) labor for a billion dollar industry. Approximately 900 of the 1,050 Soldiers activated will be assigned to “service roles with patient transport, housekeeping and food distribution,” according to the state's press release. Yes, apparently Ohio’s lucrative health care industry just can’t seem to steadily employ car drivers, janitors, and manual laborers on their own. No worries, General Harris will volunteer his minions on the taxpayer dime. What private industry will we rescue next? Need bartenders? We have 92Gs. McDonald’s ice cream machine down? We have mechanics for you. Car salesman shortage? Recruiters, activate!

All joking aside, there is an overwhelming legitimate need for medical personnel during this time of crisis. Covid cases and deaths are at the highest rates of this year. Our amazing Ohio Guardsmen are always selfless and brave servants. But to provide manual laborers at no cost to a billion-dollar industry is something that we should have a major issue with. Both as Soldiers/Airmen and as tax-paying citizens. Unless there is something we don’t know regarding reimbursement from the hospitals, this is incredibly ethically-questionable. And for God’s sake, ONG. Can you PLEASE wait ONE MORE WEEK so our weary Soldiers can spend the holidays with their loved ones this year!

Happy Holidays, Ohio Guardsmen and Families. Thank you to the many Soldiers who brought this issue to my attention.

- Six out.

Ohio National Guard Leadership: Please contact me at colonelsix@dongvideos.com with any information I missed.

Recent annual revenues of a few health care companies in Ohio:

Cardinal Health - 152.92 billion U.S. dollars.

Kettering Health Network - 1.8 billion U.S. dollars.

OhioHealth - 1.15 billion U.S. dollars