Amid hospital staff shortages, North Carolina National Guard members have been dispatched to assist at a Piedmont Triad hospital.The North Carolina National Guard is bringing in 25 guard members to Alamance Regional Medical Center, a Cone Health facility in Burlington, to assist staff during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.Hospital officials said Alamance Regional, like the rest of the Cone Health system and hospitals across the country, is experiencing staffing shortages due to the pandemic. While COVID-19 cases continue to decline across the state, the numbers remain high – especially in the region surrounding Alamance Regional.Beginning Thursday, Feb. 10, the guard members will begin performing basic clinical and administrative duties, including: Vital sign checks EKG procedures Data entry COVID-19 testing Environmental Services support Patient check-ins Meal delivery Transportation Their assistance will bring relief to Cone Health’s front-line workers and allow doctors and nurses to focus solely on their hands-on work with patients, hospital officials said in a release.“Alamance Regional staff have worked tirelessly for months to care for this community during multiple surges of COVID-19,” Alamance Regional President Mark Gordon said. “As we reach the other side of this most recent surge, the National Guard’s assistance will give staff the relief they need to see this community through.” Cone Health submitted a staffing application to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services in January. State partners determined that Alamance Regional showed a need for assistance as the only hospital in a county with a disproportionately high number of COVID-19 cases. The National Guard will be deployed at Alamance Regional through March 4. Guard members will work shifts around the clock, providing necessary relief as the pandemic continues.“Our soldiers and airmen are fully integrated with our partners in NC Emergency Management and NC Department of Health and Human Services," said Brig. Gen. Jeff Copeland, director of joint staff, North Carolina National Guard. "We look forward to working with Alamance Regional Medical Center in our ongoing COVID-19 response as we continue to assist communities across our state to recover from this global event."