With hospitals in Kansas struggling to deal with affected person capability with restricted staffing as extra well being care employees are getting sick from COVID-19, emergency rooms are filling and persons are dying ready to be handled.
Dr. Richard Watson, the founding father of Motient, which helps Kansas handle affected person transfers, mentioned sufferers in emergency rooms are drying at a five-fold enhance as they waited to be moved to a special medical facility.
"These sufferers are upwards 20 hours plus within the emergency room after which passing whereas ready for switch to a different facility," he mentioned.
The state is combating a surge of COVID-19 circumstances, and hospitals throughout the state are coping with staffing issues as well being care employees are calling out sick with the fast-spreading Omicron variant.
Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer on the College of Kansas Well being System, mentioned his hospital had 640 employees members name out sick. He mentioned his hospital is treating 3 times the variety of COVID-19 sufferers they have been a month in the past.
"That is fingers down the hardest surge the medical neighborhood has needed to face for the reason that pandemic started in 2020," Stites mentioned.
Dr. Jennifer Watts, the chief emergency administration medical officer at Youngsters's Mercy hospital, mentioned she had 327 employees members out sick on Tuesday, however the quantity retains growing.
"It speaks really to not difficult conditions, however true disaster conditions," Watson mentioned.
Hospitals throughout the state painted a dire image Wednesday of worsening circumstances because the extremely contagious omicron variant collides with a delta surge. They urged public officers to require masks and impose emergency declarations that would unlock extra sources, saying they're struggling to maintain up with the demand for testing and that surgical procedures are being delayed and clinics canceled.
Stites mentioned his hospital is treating 128 COVID-19 sufferers and has deferred practically 130 surgical procedures, together with one to take away cancerous lung nodules, after employees members referred to as out sick.
Kansas as soon as once more reported a report excessive for the common variety of new circumstances a day over seven days, 4,311 for the seven days ending Wednesday, based on state knowledge.
Salina Regional Well being has been limiting surgical procedures due to a staffing crunch that has made it troublesome to maintain up with the surge in sufferers and demand for testing, mentioned Dr. Robert Freelove, the hospital's chief medical officer.
He mentioned one other hospital official not too long ago despatched him a observe expressing thanks that the Salina hospital had accepted a affected person who was having a coronary heart assault. The official instructed Freelove that two sufferers had died prior to now two weeks whereas ready to be transferred.
"We did not have room," Freelove mentioned. "No one had room and people sufferers died non-COVID-related deaths that most likely may have been prevented."
HCA Midwest Well being is treating a pandemic-high 250 COVID-19 sufferers at its Kansas Metropolis-area hospitals, mentioned Dr. Kim Megow, the chief medical officer. She mentioned the emergency departments are slammed and no less than 190 employees had referred to as out sick thus far Wednesday.
"And as we monitor that we see no finish but, no peak," she mentioned, including that the hospital is canceling surgical procedures. "So it is nonetheless actually climbing simply nearly vertically for those who take a look at the charts."
Megow mentioned an emergency declaration in Kansas in addition to Missouri could be "extraordinarily useful," noting that it might enable hospitals to exceed their licensed capability. She mentioned it additionally would supply a pathway for the state to request assist from the Nationwide Guard.
Youngsters's Mercy is treating a pandemic-record 30 COVID-19 in-patients, practically a 3rd hospitalized in intensive care, mentioned Watts.
Lawrence Memorial Hospital has near 50 employees members who're sickened with COVID-19 and is canceling surgical procedures, mentioned Dr. Jennifer Schrimsher, an infectious ailments doctor on the hospital and the deputy public well being officer for Douglas County. She mentioned drive-through COVID-19 testing is booked out and that employees is burned out.
"It's heartbreaking to take a look at that scenario and suppose that we've to ship substandard care," she mentioned, "simply to attempt to piece collectively, you understand, take care of our sufferers."
Stormont Vail Well being in Topeka helps smaller rural hospitals throughout the area handle some sufferers of their emergency departments because it offers with an increase in circumstances and employees absences that has restricted its skill to just accept them.
"It is simply not doable to switch these sufferers wherever," mentioned Dr. Kevin Dishman, the hospital's chief medical officer.
Hays Medical Middle declined 300 transfers over the previous month, mentioned Dr. Heather Harris, the medical director there.
"That breaks my coronary heart," she mentioned, noting that small rural hospitals with no specialists are caring for sufferers they're ill-equipped to deal with. "Care is already being put in danger."
Ascension By way of Christi is treating 110 COVID-19 sufferers at its Wichita hospital alone, mentioned Dr. Sam Antonios, the chief scientific officer. He mentioned hospitals need assistance.
"Proper now, I believe quite a lot of well being officers really feel like they do not have quite a lot of authority, and that's one thing that I believe the state may take into account," Antonios mentioned. "So flexibility, regulatory flexibility, but additionally offering some assist to public well being officers."
Governor Laura Kelly has been monitoring the hospital capability scenario, mentioned her spokesperson, Sam Coleman. He mentioned she is reviewing short-term measures and longer-term options that may require legislative motion.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
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