COVID-19 hospitalizations at Eisenhower Health surpass previous summer record
Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage reached a grim milestone over the weekend. The hospital officially surpassed its previous high of COVID-19 patients set during the summer.
As of Sunday, Dec. 13, there are over 90 patients with COVID-19 at Eisenhower Health. The previous peak was slight over 80 patients which was set back in July.
Riverside County and the Coachella Valley reported its highest day-to-day case increase and hospitalizations during the July surge.
Eisenhower Health was so short-staffed at the time that a team of 21 U.S. Air Force medical personnel was sent to help.
As of Monday, there has been no additional request for federal aid at Eisenhower Health. A spokesperson for the hospital told News Channel 3 on Friday that the hospital is prepared for surge.
Dr. Alan Williamson, the hospital's chief medical officer, told News Channel 3's Peter Daut on Thursday that the hospital is nearly full in terms of the number of beds they can staff. He added that they have been focusing on mobilizing staff internally to be able to utilize people effectively.
"It's really a game of moving around the resources to be sure that we spread out the resources that we do have and again to maximize their effectiveness up to the limits of what they are comfortable and competent," Williamson said.
This new hospitalization record comes nearly a month after the hospital's chief operating officer Martin Massiello sent out a note warning staff of increasing hospitalizations.
At the time of Massiello's warning, Nov. 9, the hospital had 29 COVID-19 patients, including six in the ICU.
Two weeks after the note, Massiello let staff know that the Epidemiology Department predicted that the surge worse than the one in July.
Much like during the summer surge, hospitalizations are currently spiking all across Riverside County. As of Monday, Dec. 14, there are 930 COVID-related hospitalizations in the county, including a record 184 patients in the ICU.
On Friday, local leaders expressed concern about a potential nursing strike at three Southern California hospitals, including the largest hospital here in Riverside County.
"That would have a massive, massive impact on our system. ... If that facility closed, there would be a huge, detrimental impact on the public –I'm afraid sir we would lose lives," said Bruce Barton, director of the county's emergency management department.
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