By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — By most every measure, Hutchinson Regional Medical Center is nearing its capacity to treat COVID-19 patients.
"We have 9 patients on ventilators being assisted with their breathing," Chuck Welch said Tuesday. "We have 34 in the two COVID wards, for a total of 43 COVID positive patients. Over the weekend we hit 48, which is a new high water mark for us."
They have been maintaining mid to high forties in patient count for the last couple of weeks now.
"We're currently full in the ICU," Welch said. "Our primary COVID ward is nearing full and we're double occupying some rooms and then our overflow COVID ward is nearing full."
This is while they have 35 employees out sick, according to their latest ops report. Twenty-three employees are positive, 12 are on observation, 14 are awaiting results and 8 are working from home.
"We're very nervous for the holiday season," Welch said. "I think Dr. Ashraf said it yesterday best during our meeting. He never wants to be in the position like they were in Italy or New York, where they were literally walking down the halls of sick people saying, they get a vent, he doesn't get a vent, she gets a vent, he doesn't get a vent. He never wants to be in that position. So we're pleading, imploring, begging people to just put a mask on and distance yourself."
The hospital only has twelve ventilators total, twelve BiPaPs and 10 AirVos. Welch said they can't get more right now. In addition to the 9 ventilated patients, 8 of the BiPaps and 6 of the AirVos are in use.
"This is something different," Welch said. "These folks are sicker. They are staying longer and generally, when they go on the ventilator, they don't do as well. Before, we were quick to put them on the ventilator with the idea that we could get them bridged and then they would come off and generally do pretty well. That's not the case now."
The current statistics are in ICU 12 of 12 possible staffed beds are full, on the 4400 COVID Ward that could have up to 26 patients if staff were available, they have 17 people, on the 3300 COVID overflow ward, where they have 18 staffed beds, there are 15 patients. They have 44 inpatients with only 56 possible, if they are able to find enough staff to double up.
Normally, they would be full at 43 COVID beds, because it is not ideal to double bed COVID patients, due to their care needs.