[fullmetal]

FEMA not only provides infrastructure & facilities but also sources personnel. But perhaps there is a nationwide constraint. If so, that should be part of the answer. Just saying "our hospitals don't have enough staff" is an insufficient answer.

I don't think FEMA sources personnel.  I'd need to see a citation for that.

"Our hospitals don't have enough staff" is absolutely a sufficient answer if you kept tabs on the initial covid wave and how staffing needs were addressed.  Because hospitals are a patchwork of private/public/hybrid entities, they each have their own set of protocols, software, and resources that external staff need to get trained up on and qualified to operate.  Contract personnel are pretty expensive too...I'm certain that hospitals are loathe to take on the additional contracts needed to staff up extra covid wards.  The real problem is that the supply of contract healthcare workers available to travel is not sufficient anymore since too many regions are under staffing duress.  We just don't have enough trained personnel to travel to all the affected areas.

The docs/nurses/techs on this board can jump in if I'm off base.

[fullmetal]

FEMA not only provides infrastructure & facilities but also sources personnel. But perhaps there is a nationwide constraint. If so, that should be part of the answer. Just saying "our hospitals don't have enough staff" is an insufficient answer.

I don't think FEMA sources personnel.  I'd need to see a citation for that.

"Our hospitals don't have enough staff" is absolutely a sufficient answer if you kept tabs on the initial covid wave and how staffing needs were addressed.  Because hospitals are a patchwork of private/public/hybrid entities, they each have their own set of protocols, software, and resources that external staff need to get trained up on and qualified to operate.  Contract personnel are pretty expensive too...I'm certain that hospitals are loathe to take on the additional contracts needed to staff up extra covid wards.  The real problem is that the supply of contract healthcare workers available to travel is not sufficient anymore since too many regions are under staffing duress.  We just don't have enough trained personnel to travel to all the affected areas.

The docs/nurses/techs on this board can jump in if I'm off base.