A nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism

Villa Hills resident has been providing patient care in New York City during coronavirus outbreak


By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune reporter

Ryan Albin of Villa Hills is a member of the medical staff on the USNS Comfort, the Navy hospital ship that was sent to New York City three weeks ago to help hospitals there deal with a heavy load of patients following an outbreak of the coronavirus.

Ryan Albin is part of the medical crew on the USNS Comfort hospital ship. (Photo from U.S. Navy)

A petty officer third class in the U.S. Navy Reserve, Albin volunteered for the assignment. His position is listed as a hospital corpsman responsible for patient care.

“Assisting the overcrowded hospitals by getting patients the treatment they need to get them recovering is our goal,” Albin said in a press release from the U.S. Navy. “Not only that, but the nurses and doctors across the country have been taking this pandemic head on with no hesitation. Helping those heroes is everything to us.”

Albin said he has been a firefighter and emergency medical technician in Northern Kentucky. He’s taking classes to become a certified paramedic, but school was closed due to the pandemic.

That’s when he learned that the Naval Reserve needed volunteers with a medical background to serve on the Comfort’s mission to New York City.

Ryan Albin charts patient information aboard the hospital ship. (U.S. Navy photo by Sara Eshleman)

“I got about a 48-hour notice that they were looking for volunteers and what better way to keep up my (medical) skills and go help a city in need right now,” Albin said in a videotaped interview provided by the U.S. Navy.

The Comfort, which provides a full spectrum of medical care, was initially asked to serve as a referral hospital for non-COVID-19 patients, but the medical crew ended up treating patients regardless of their status.

On Tuesday, New York Gov. Mario Cuomo said the Comfort was no longer needed to help New York City battle the outbreak and the ship would soon be heading back to its base in Virginia.

When his deployment ends, Albin will be looking forward to returning to his wife and three children in Villa Hills.

“I’ve always wanted to volunteer for a humanitarian deployment with one of our hospital ships to help overseas, but with this pandemic hitting home we got a call asking if we would like to volunteer for this mission,” he said. “Personally, wearing this uniform to help the hospitals take care of our own is a mission I’ll never forget. I’m absolutely thankful and honored to be a part of this crew.”


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