880 Weekly Rewind: Hospitals Strained to the Max, Facing COVID Surge and Dire Staffing Shortage

Produced by Neil A. Carousso

NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Military doctors, nurses and paramedics are being deployed to hospitals in six states, including New York and New Jersey, to bolster overwhelmed medical staffs. Twenty percent of U.S. hospitals have a critical staffing shortage.

The 880 Weekly Rewind takes a look inside two New Jersey hospitals facing a dire staffing shortage with stressed health care workers.

Plus, Rewind talks to Dr. Irwin Redlener, founding director of Columbia University’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness and a pandemic advisor to many institutions, including the City of New York, about the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling allowing vaccine mandates for many health care workers but blocking vaccine or testing requirements for private companies.

On a lighter note, WCBS sports director Brad Heller tells us about the New York Yankees’ groundbreaking promotion of Rachel Balkovec to be the first woman manager of a Major League Baseball affiliate. And, WCBS Mets Radio broadcasters Howie Rose and Wayne Randazzo chat with legendary Mets first baseman Keith Hernandez whose number 17 will be retired by the New York Mets on July 9 at Citi Field.

Listen to The 880 Weekly Rewind Podcast with Lynda Lopez for a deep dive into the top stories of the week, produced by Neil A. Carousso for WCBS-AM New York.