Michigan hospital sees influx of patients, reaches high capacity
By Jamie Sherrod, Anna Muckenfuss
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SAGINAW, Michigan (WNEM) — A local hospital is experiencing an influx of activity, primarily because of patients with COVID-19, a situation at many hospitals across the country in what health experts are calling a pandemic of the unvaccinated.
At one point, Covenant Healthcare in Saginaw reached 90 percent capacity.
“It changes honestly day to day hour to hour sometimes minute to minute because we have new patients coming in patients being discharged,” said Matthew Deibel, the Medical Director of Covenant Emergency Care Center. “Covid patients right now they account for a little less than a quarter of all of our patients right now, but their stay tends to be double than other patient’s stay.”
Deibel said COVID-19 patients coupled with a nationwide worker shortage among hospitals has been difficult.
“We have the same struggles that everyone else does and it’s not just nursing its people working in the cafeteria, its housekeeping, phlebotomy,” Deibel said. “You may have heard some hospitals had to decrease the number of beds. It’s not because there isn’t patients to see it’s because they don’t have staff to see them.”
Deibel said in 15 years of working at Covenant he’s never seen capacity, or a worker shortage reach such a high.
As winter approaches, the hospital expects an uptick in viral illnesses and a further strain on resources.
Deibel said it doesn’t have to be that way, if people would just be willing to trust the science behind fighting covid.
“Please get vaccinated for covid. If you’ve been vaccinated and you’re eligible for the booster please get your booster. Please get your flu shot this year,” Deibel said.
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