Health officials expect increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations during holidays
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Health care providers in Columbia and Jefferson City are preparing for a possible increase in COVID-19 patients because of the holidays.
Gov. Mike Parson announced Wednesday evening a 12-week partnership with Vizient to bring in additional medical staff to expand the statewide hospital capacity by over 600 hospital beds.
“Since the start of COVID-19, we have continually monitored Missouri’s statewide health care system and focused on supporting our hospitals and health care workers as much as possible,” Gov. Parson said. “Staffing continues to be one of the biggest challenges right now, and we are currently doing everything we can at the state level to assist.”
Through the partnership, Vizient will deploy up to 760 additional staff members through its contracted agencies to multiple, geographically dispersed hospitals across the state, including registered nurses, respiratory therapists, and certified nurse assistants.
Watch the governor's briefing replay in the player below.
Lindsay Huhman, a spokeswoman for Capital Region Medical Center, said this week the hospital has seen a more manageable amount of COVID-19 patients and she hopes this trend continues.
"However, a surge in COVID-19 patients due to the Thanksgiving holiday would not be unexpected," she said.
According to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, ICU capacity is down to 20% in Missouri, but in the central region ICU capacity is at 37%. Inpatient bed capacity has shrunk recently with more people being hospitalized because of the coronavirus.
Mary Beck, The chief nursing officer for MU Health, said the health care system saw a decrease in COVID-19 inpatients over the holiday, but now are seeing another increase.
MU Health currently has 51 inpatients with COVID-19, and Boone Hospital has 55 COVID-19 positive patients.
Dr. Robin Blount, the vice president and chief medical officer for Boone Hospital Center, said she fully expects to see capacity levels increase throughout the holiday, and is worried because of staffing levels.
"The effects of the recent holiday, we are expecting that to really show up probably next week and into the following week," Blount said.
Blount said she hopes Gov. Mike Parson will put a coronavirus health order in place to ensure citizens wear a mask.
"We have to do everything we can, that includes more aggressive, more solid expectations from our highest leadership," she said.
Local hospitals said they are all hoping people will step up and do their part to prevent a surge of hospitalizations from occurring this holiday season.
