Respiratory Care Program Director Serves on CAL-MAT Assignment in El Centro

Publish Date: Feb. 9, 2021

CHC’s Respiratory Care Program Director Michael Sheahan volunteered his services on a CAL-MAT assignment in El Centro, CA earlier this month.
CAL-MAT (California Medical Assistance Team) units are comprised of trained professionals from medical, technical, administrative, and other specialized services for rapid field medical response in times of disaster. Sheahan worked in a respiratory therapy capacity in direct patient care with COVID patients throughout his two-week deployment.
The Imperial County Public Health Department reports that El Centro and the surrounding Imperial Valley are severely impacted with positive COVID-19 cases, adding that one out of every 7 people in the county has tested positive. The department says that over the past week, their county has averaged 118 new cases and 4.3 new deaths per day. The number of confirmed infections is currently doubling every 139.5 days.
Sheahan was contacted by a friend who was working with CAL-MAT in Imperial Valley at an alternative care site (field hospital). “He let me know that they were shorthanded and needed some help. So, I offered to come down and help,” Sheahan stated.
With overwhelmed health care facilities and extremely sick residents, skilled volunteers are critical to the hard-hit community, and the caliber of volunteers was tremendous according to Sheahan. “I was working side by side with a great team of doctors, RT’s, PT’s, nurses, medics, and EMT’s, all of whom volunteered to help with the cause.The team was absolutely amazing!”
Sheahan expanded, “The patient care that was delivered exceeds anything I’ve ever experienced and at the level that we teach our students should be provided.”
Sheahan served in patient care and leadership role throughout his deployment and was also asked to work in an educational capacity at times due to his educational background.“The experience renewed my faith in what we do as educators and practitioners,” Sheahan recalled. “I would have extended my deployment but was unable to do so due to my responsibilities at Crafton. I would suggest it to anyone looking to see the positive side of what we do in this crazy time! It was one of the most awesome clinical experiences of my life,” concluded Sheahan.