Photo by Joeanna Sayler.
The USNS Comfort, a Navy medical ship with 1,000 beds, docked on Monday at Pier 90 off of 51st Street on the West Side. The ship was welcomed by the mayor, the governor and a crowd of New Yorkers.
New Yorkers welcome the USNS Comfort to our city. pic.twitter.com/Xsl9TyjPKw
— City of New York (@nycgov) March 30, 2020
The ship’s doctors are expected to care for non-coronavirus patients in order to relieve pressure on the city’s other hospitals, which are dealing with escalating coronavirus cases. The ship has more than 1,000 personnel, 12 operating rooms, a lab, and a pharmacy.
Heidi Stubner welcomed the occasion by playing ‘America The Beautiful’ on her roof at 96th Street. She’s been playing for people every day for three weeks. “I’ve played on my rooftop for the last 2+ weeks for those ill, scared, and lonely to perhaps bring a moment of solace, hope, and a smile. Music heals that which medicine cannot.”
God bless the USA! God bless President Trump!
This is not about politics. This is about humanity only.
God bless Trump? Pfft!!! As an er rn I have no respect for him. He’s accusing us of stealing and hoarding, hasn’t sent ventilators, no hazard pay.. He should take a walk through any emergency room in NYC right now. It’s like a warzone. We are totally unprepared for this fight. And yet we go there and jeopardize our own health, haven’t seen our families out of fear of spreading it to them, watch our patiwnts and even our coworkers die to this.. All the while he thinks we are exaggerating? Please. Let him come in for a 12 hour shift with a recycled mask, 1 gown and 1 hair covering like the rest of us. He is disgraceful.
Dear Ed, you may want to inform yourself so that you can direct your outrage at the people who really have put the brave front line medical workers and citizens in danger.
In 2015 Gov. Cuomo was told that NYS needed to purchase an additional 16,000 ventilators because we were unprepared for a pandemic. Instead he ordered his health commissioner to draft a rationing plan.
The FBI just arrested a man and raided a warehouse with 80,000 masks and enough other medical equipment to stock a hospital. Out the back door indeed. https://nypost.com/2020/03/30/brooklyn-man-arrested-for-hoarding-masks-coughing-on-fbi-agents/
God bless Trump? Are you serious?
God Bless you, Heidi
Thank you!
Simply beautiful… America is truly blessed – and we will ge thru this united.
beautiful, thank you! Always makes me a little teary.
This is beautiful. Thanks.
Beautiful — thank you, Heidi!
Way to go Heidi!
I saw two pictures of spectators crowding together to see the ship dock. Kinda defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?
That was not me. Never would consider it. Others should as well. All alone on my roof with my child.
This is about humanity and helping one another even if from a distance.
Some weird liquid in my eyes. That was beautiful.
Thank you all medical personnel.
I’m always amazed by the American spirit.
Beautiful!
That was a touching triumph to US Naval Comfort for coming and helping NY . The Tristate welcomes all the help in combating this Virus….Thank You
United as one!!! Let’s put politics aside and take care of our brothers and sisters in our community, amazing, thank you for that beautiful music.
Thank you Heidi
The person that really deserves very Special Thanks is Andrew Cuomo. He has been outstanding. It’s a joy to watch someone actually Lead.
We also thank yo, Heidi and all of your coworkers for your work. You and the entire healthcare community have been extraordinary. God bless
I actually don’t understand why Cuomo is receiving the praise he is? This is happening on his watch. he has made numerous errors (which he has admitted and corrected) and these have cost lives. turned down an order for additional ventilators in 2015 (no one was to see this coming, but you have to prepare). It’s a given at this stage that trump is not to be relied on, so that can’t be Cuomo’s excuse. To me, he is getting praise because his interviews are watchable and people seem to like the rapport with his brother on CNN. I don’t get it… he has to take some of the blame for what’s happening in NYC.
No politics please! This is about humanity and helping one another. I do not play for political reasons. Check out my other posts on Facebook.
#musichealsthatwhichmedicinecannot
Like your mind, spirit, soul and heart.
Spread the love and hopefully I have brought a bit of solace into people’s daily lives. Be safe, be smart, be positive.
An MD friend is concerned that patients will likely not be tested for signs of covid-19 before admission to this hospital boat. Will all the proper PPE be made available in advance, unlike at our hospitals? Enclosed spaces such as cruise ships can become vectors of disease (as can, of course, hospitals themselves). I’m curious about oversight. Meanwhile, heartfelt kudos to to the over-worked,under-protected medical workers!
Possibly, but keep in mind that the military has all kinds of contingencies for managing NBC hazards. Much more confident of their ability to manage the situation than community hospitals.
Our lives are as precarious as a fiddler on the roof.
Stay safe.
God bless NYC
God bless America
Yes, this is an absolutely wonderful tribute, but why were there crowds of people watching the ship come in? Do they not understand WHY this ship is docking here? https://nypost.com/2020/03/30/crowds-ignore-social-distancing-rules-to-watch-usns-comfort/
Leaving aside all the gushing, tears and overflowing of emotions; thus far that huge USNS hospital ship has only filled twenty (20) inpatient beds out of total capacity of 1000.
Sister ship docked in Los Angeles only has filled fifteen (15) beds.
https://nypost.com/2020/04/02/only-20-patients-currently-being-treated-on-usns-comfort/