PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Staff Sgt. Tyler Meister is currently assigned to Providence St. Vincent Hospital in Portland. He works 12-hour shifts alongside nearly 90 other National Guard soldiers at the hospital, working in non-clinical roles such as critical care, checking temperatures and discharge.

As cases of omicron appear to be dipping in Oregon, hospitals remain near capacity. There are more than 1000 National Guard soldiers assigned to 40 hospitals across the state helping to lighten the load for hospital workers who often need a break.

Meister, who has been at Providence St. Vincent for 2 weeks, said the hospital staff is more than grateful.

“For me it’s great to come in like I am, excited to wake up every morning and come in the hospital and help any way that I can,” he told KOIN 6 News. “I know the soldiers are very excited to be here and meet and greet everyone that they see in the hospital. And all the caretakers here are super appreciative of us being here as we are of them for continuing to do their work.”

Staff Sgt. Jillian Zalunardo and her team have been deployed at OHSU for more than a week. They’re helping at the Knight Cancer Institute in the ambulatory department connecting with patients. They’ll make sure they make their appointments, screen them for COVID and fill-in gaps of other non-clinical roles when they are needed.

Zalunardo said it feels good to be in position where it’s the right place at the right time, helping the staff.

“They’re so excited to see us and just relief so far, so I can only guess that they’re a little bit burnt out, if not a lot,” she said. “They’ve been doing this for two years, and I think our help means we just take the stuff off their plate. And that feels really good.”

If there is one thing Zalunardo wants the public to know it’s this: hospital staffs are working so hard and she urges everyone to do what they can to relieve the burden.

The National Guard deployment to Oregon hospitals runs through April 1.