DAVENPORT, Iowa — For months the public has heard the pleas of healthcare workers urging people to follow COVID-19 guidelines. Genesis Health CEO Doug Cropper putting exactly that thought into words.
“Please help the hospitals and please help our caregivers.”
Local hospitals are once again experiencing a surge in cases, and they say that it’s worse than anything they have seen yet.
Cropper says, “Today we set a new record of 56 positive patients and 7 potential cases that we held in our emergency department. That's 63 COVID-19 patients.”
The state of Iowa hit a new hospitalization high for the 11th day in a row on November 5th.
It’s a worry for Genesis and UnityPoint Health that it could cause the system to reach its tipping point.
UnityPoint Health CEO Bob Ericksen echoing Cropper.
“Last week it was 2.4 patients a day on average being admitted for COVID-19 and today it’s at six.”
With the cases continuing to rise it forces the hospitals to cancel other services like elective surgeries. While this has happened during other surges throughout the pandemic, the fear is running out of beds.
Cropper saying its important they can take care of not just people with COVID-19 but people in need of other healthcare assistance.
“We want to be able to be there to take care of everybody.”
On top of that the quick spread is knocking out healthcare workers. Without them to take care of the increasing number of patients, it has the potential to cause an overflow for the health care system.
“When we trace it back it’s not to our hospital or clinics, they're picking it up in the community.”
Both hospitals say they work together, transferring patients as needed to make sure there are enough ICU beds available for patients coming in.
As of November 5th the state has 912 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and just over 30% of inpatient beds are available.
University of Iowa health care CEO Suresh Gunasekaran runs the biggest hospital in the state and they're prepping for a surge already. Doctor Gunasekaran saying it’s they’re job to be available for other hospitals that need the help.
“We owe it to the entire state to do everything as we can as UI Healthcare to be there and to be support.”
UIHC is increasing its ICU bed availability to accommodate the potential transfers.
Right now they have 100 ICU beds available. Starting November 16th until January 3rd the hospital will be functioning under phase one mitigations.
That means they will add 16 ICU beds as well as shift staff around from clinics to the hospital to make sure there are enough staff to handle the surge as well as regular patients coming into the hospital.
The Quad Cities hospitals say right now they aren’t overwhelmed and have enough beds. UIHC is putting pressure on local communities to make sure it stays that way. Doctor Gunasekaran saying it’s everyone’s job to keep hospitalizations down.