Following Urgent Request From Schatz, VA Health Team Mobilized, Heading To Hilo As Early As Today

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has mobilized a team of infection control experts, nurses, and other health care professionals to provide immediate support and help contain a COVID-19 outbreak at the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home in Hilo. The move comes just days after Schatz made an urgent request to the VA following rising COVID-19 cases and deaths at the Hilo facility.

“More help is on the way,” said Senator Schatz. “This medical team will be a big help in containing the outbreak happening on the Big Island. My staff and I will continue working with the VA and state and local officials to make sure we are utilizing all the federal help that’s available.”

Details of the VA mission follows:

• VA Subject Matter Experts will conduct an onsite assessment in the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home in Hilo for infection control issues.  
• The purpose is to formulate recommendations for interventions, processes, and procedures to address an outbreak of COVID-19.  
• The VA team is expected to consist of: an infectious disease physician, a facilities engineer who understands environmental air flow and AC systems, an infectious disease nurse specialist with expertise in running COVID-19 units, a safety officer, an industrial hygienist, and a nurse manager. 

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