Spectrum Health sees COVID surge system-wide
At a press conference Tuesday Spectrum Health officials expressed great concern with the rapid rise in COVID-19 patients, straining hospital resources and creating a ripple effect including limiting the transfers made to a higher level of care hospital and non essential surgeries being deferred. A pandemic high of 367 beds are currently being filled with COVID patients system wide. Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital currently has 18 kids admitted with COVID-19 with 6 in their ICU. Prior to this recent surge the average number ranged from 1 to 5 patients. Spectrum Health of West Michigan President Dr. Darryl Elmouchi shared a chart depicting the recent rise in hospitalizations and spoke to the high acuity of non Covid-19 admissions creating a perfect storm when combined with the dramatic increase in COVID-19 patients. He also referenced a recent spike in testing positivity now averaging over 22%, higher than at any time during the pandemic. “What we’re experiencing is unprecedented,” he stated. “We have not experienced anything like this throughout the pandemic. A combination of high non-Covid acuity and dramatic increase in COVID care.” Chief Operating Officer Brian Brasser addressed questions about the influence of the vaccination requirement on staffing. “99.7% of our team are compliant. Our staffing needs have to do with the acuity of our patients. If there is information saying it’s the vaccination requirement that is absolutely not the case.” He also stated Spectrum has added 50 ICU beds and have upskilled their staff for those beds to plan for the coming weeks. Asked about the influence of schools in the recent surge Dr Elmouchi replied that because kids are at high risk of contracting and spreading the virus, youth have been the primary drivers. The Spectrum Health officials stated 85% of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 have not been vaccinated and of the ICU patients and those on a ventilator 95% are unvaccinated. Dr Elmouchi encouraged people to do what they can to keep from having to go to the hospital, including getting vaccinated and using common sense prevention methods. “Believe me you don’t want to have to go to the hospital right now. That being said, if you need to come to the hospital by all means do. You just need to know there’s going to be a longer wait.”
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April 2024
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