MU Health won’t take state’s offer of staffing help

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

University of Missouri Health Care will not take the state up on its offer of extra staffing to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

MU Health said in a statement Tuesday that is has already signed contracts to bring in extra traveling nurses, making the state's help unneeded.

"We continue to monitor our staffing situation closely and have contingency plans in place to adjust our staffing as our patients’ needs change," MU Health spokesman Eric Maze said in a statement.

Gov. Mike Parson announced two weeks ago that his administration was partnering with private company Vizient to bring in extra hospital workers. The move came as hospitals were reporting massive strain and staff shortages as more patients were admitted with COVID-19 and staff were exposed to or contracted the coronavirus.

Missouri tapped Vizient based on its work with other states to fight hospital staffing shortages. The state pledged to pay the cost of the extra staffing through the end of the year.

Missouri COVID-19 hospitalizations have declined slowly since hitting their peak in late November, according to numbers reported by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Boone County's hospitals are reporting "yellow" status on the county health department's green-yellow-red scale.

MU hospitals are treating 41 confirmed COVID-19 patients with 19 more pending a positive test.