Long-standing staffing challenges led to the deployment of dozens of Wisconsin National Guard troops to serve as temporary nursing assistants at four state-run health facilities, Department of Health Services Secretary-designee Karen Timberlake said Monday.

Per a statement from the Wisconsin National Guard, around 60 troops completed a multi-day training regiment to help healthcare workers at the facilities.

They’re also completing an additional 59-hour certified nursing assistant program.

Timberlake said state facilities have experienced “extremely high vacancy rates,” in particular for registered nurses, certified nursing assistants and psychiatric care and residential care techs.

“That is not directly due to the pandemic,” Timberlake told reporters. “It has been a challenge for many months, unfortunately.”

She added that they’re working to train National Guard volunteers to be qualified to serve as temporary nursing assistants in other facilities as well.

DHS spokeswoman Elizabeth Goodsitt said the National Guard is assisting at Winnebago Mental Health Institute in Oshkosh, Mendota Mental Health Institute in Madison, Central Wisconsin Center in Madison and Southern Wisconsin Center in Union Grove.

This article first appeared in the Wisconsin Health News daily email newsletter. Sign up for your free trial here.