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Published on January 15, 2025
Las Vegas Nurses Rally to Support Overburdened Healthcare Workers in Southern California WildfiresSource: Google Street View

Amid the ongoing wildfires in Southern California, a group of nurses from Las Vegas has arrived to offer support to the healthcare workers in need. According to FOX5 Vegas, nurses from MountainView Hospital and Sunrise Hospital have traveled to Los Angeles to assist staff at Los Robles Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, where the effects of the wildfires have been especially severe.

Among the Las Vegas healthcare contingent is nurse Ana Maria Rodriguez, who once called the affected area home. "I wanted to come help because you know I used to live here in Ventura county, this devastation that was brought to these people here this community, there are two reasons we don’t want to compromise patient care, some of the staff too or most of them would need help trying to come to work, render care and then they are thinking of personal stuff too," Rodriguez told FOX5 Vegas.

Moreover, HCA Healthcare's Far West Division is making concerted efforts to send additional help. "I have a long career as a nurse in healthcare and I think of those moments where I needed help, and I want to make sure that we respond as an organization," Annette Greenwood, HCA Healthcare Far West Division Chief Nurse Executive, shared in an interview with KTNV. Greenwood is among the three nurses from the Las Vegas Valley who have put their usual lives on pause to serve in this time of need.

Currently, 13 additional nurses from various California-based HCA Healthcare facilities have joined the response efforts in Southern California. These nurses are assisting local hospitals and will continue to provide support as long as necessary. "There’s just fear of more fires breaking out, additional danger, additional concerns about housing," Greenwood stated, affirming the ongoing nature of this crisis and the commitment to see it through as told to KTNV.

The efforts of these Nevada nurses demonstrate the collaborative nature of the healthcare community, which is important during times of crisis. "At the end of the day we have some amazing human beings that really respond in these kind of events, you see I think the best of humanity, and certainly that’s what we’ve seen with our nurses," Greenwood expressed to KTNV.