Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Aboard the USNS Mercy (TAH-19)

The USNS Mercy, one of the two hospital ships in the United States Navy, has provided disaster
relief and humanitarian assistance for multiple natural disasters around the world. As a self-sustaining 1000-bed hospital, the USNS Mercy provides a full complement of surgical and medical capabilities to care for the sick and injured in a mobile platform environment. This article describes the recent missions of the USNS Mercy, highlighting the capabilities and humanitarian mission goals. (Journal of Surgical Orthopaedic Advances 20(1):38–43, 2011)