* Remember, hospitalization is a lagging indicator. The exploding number of positive cases you see today will eventually translate into increased numbers of people in the hospital…
Illinois COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased 76 percent in the past two weeks. The state also has the fewest number of available hospital beds since the pandemic began.
* Tribune…
Faced with a record number of COVID-19 patients, some Illinois hospitals are returning to strategies similar to those they adopted in the early days of the health crisis, including limiting elective surgeries and adding more beds.
One health care provider, NorthShore University HealthSystem, has converted its Glenbrook Hospital in Glenview back into a COVID-19 hospital, meaning it is no longer taking patients in need of overnight care if they don’t have COVID-19. Non-COVID-19 patients who need to be hospitalized are being sent to other facilities in the system.
The five-hospital system also has started evaluating elective surgeries on a case-by-case basis, delaying some depending on their urgency, said Dr. Lakshmi Halasyamani, chief medical officer. […]
Concerns also are growing about staffing levels. Though hospitals can add beds, they can only add as many beds as they have the ability to staff. Amid this second COVID-19 surge, hospitals are seeing their medical workers catch COVID-19, outside the hospital, preventing them from working. Nurses are in high demand nationwide, unlike in the spring when some areas had many COVID-19 cases and others did not.
Hospital leaders are pleading with community members to wear masks and social distance.
The staffing issue is not discussed nearly enough. You can have plenty of beds, but if you have a staff shortage due to illness or whatever, you can’t fill your hospital.
* And it’s becoming a real problem in southern Illinois…
Yesterday, there were 50 hospitalized patients at SIH, a record high since the pandemic began. Staff at SIH is prepared to care for patients, but the extra steps involving PPE make caring for them more intensive.
“It’s not really a bed issue right now, we have the beds. It’s more the staffing demand to care for a patient with COVID-19 is much more substantial than taking care of a medical patient that’s in the hospital or a critical care patient that’s in the hospital. It’s, logistically, it’s just much more difficult” said Chief Nursing Officer Jennifer Harre. […]
Right now, with more than 100 healthcare workers out sick or in quarantine, they stress the need all of us to do our part to stop the spread of the virus.
* Champaign…
Like many other healthcare facilities, Carle Foundation Hospital is seeing an increase in staff members with COVID-19. In a statement they said in part…
“We continue to offer leading safeguards in our workplace to protect our staff and patients. While we’re continuing to monitor the situation closely and working through numerous solutions we know we are at a critical juncture in our community.”
* The Quincy area is at a critical stage…
The Adams County COVID-19 Medical Capacity dashboard shows hospital bed availability at one percent. […]
[Dr. Mary Frances Barthel with Blessing Health System] said what she’s seeing in the hospital reflects how the community is acting. She says it’s time to stop gathering in large groups, or things are going to get real bad.
“At some point, it will just overrun the system,” Barthel said.
When we said available beds, these aren’t just for COVID-19 patients, they’re for everyone.
So if you get in a car accident, or have another medical emergency, the low capacity of beds could impact you even if you don’t have the virus.
Barthel said the need for staff is more important now than ever, especially if they add beds.
She said like community members, many staff members are out with COVID or possible exposure.
Adams County’s 7-day average positivity rate is 16 percent.
* A different sort of shortage is hitting the Rockford area, which is in a region that appears to be completely ignoring state mitigations…
Additional hospital bed sets have been requested by Winnebago County agencies due to the recent surge in COVID-19 patients in Region 1 hospitals.
Winnebago County Emergency Management, city of Rockford Emergency Management, and the Winnebago County Health Department requested the bed sets from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency through the Regional Hospital Coordinating Center
A bed set includes a bed, headboard with suction and oxygen, HEPA filter, lamp, trunk, tent and chair. The bed set does not include additional medical personnel.
“The increasing rate of COVID-19 infection has stressed the healthcare systems in the region and highlights the consequences of unchecked transmission in the community,” officials said in a news release. “All entities should be adhering to the Tier 2 mitigations outlined in Executive Order #2020-62 to protect the community.
Winnebago County’s average positivity rate is 18.4 percent.
* We talked about this earlier in the week, but here’s the Washington Post…
A group of Illinois health-care workers wrote an open letter to Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) on Monday predicting that “Illinois will surpass its ICU bed capacity by Thanksgiving.”
Two leaders of the group, the Illinois Medical Professionals Action Collaborative Team (IMPACT), said Illinois is “on a bad trajectory.”
“Cases have been rising really sharply, especially in Illinois, where for the past four days we had more than 10,000 cases, which was the highest number of cases that a state had experienced,” said Vineet Arora, chief executive of the team.
Arora, who is also a hospitalist at the University of Chicago, is afraid the rate of infection will reach a point similar to New York at the height of its spring surge, “where physicians were having to decide, does this patient have a higher chance of surviving, or this patient?”
Maybe the Tribune will now revisit its irresponsible May 6 editorial that essentially said Pritzker should declare victory and ease up. This is what happens when you ease up too much.
* Which brings us to the evolving mayor of Springfield…
At the end of October, right before the record-breaking case numbers and positivity rates, Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder was already worried about hospitals in Springfield.
“Are they bringing people in from outside that region?” Langfelder said in an Oct. 29 interview. “If so, that should stop immediately. We should take care of the ones within their service area. If it’s beyond that, we need to make a determination how to approach that.”
On Wednesday, Nov. 11, Langfelder eased his stance.
“When you’re in healthcare, you’re there to serve the public, so they’re not going to restrict healthcare,” Langfelder said.
HSHS St. John’s Hospital in Springfield confirmed this, saying they don’t plan on turning people away.
- The Dude - Thursday, Nov 12, 20 @ 6:05 am:
If the numbers don’t level out by end of week and JB doesn’t shut it down I will 100% stop supporting JB.
Leaders need to lead. Earlier in the year it was child’s play compared to today. Be a leader JB. You were so good at the beginning why are you acting all hands tied now?
- Excitable Boy - Thursday, Nov 12, 20 @ 6:53 am:
For crying out loud Langfelder, you refuse to take a definitive stance on anything, and when you finally do it’s that sick people should be turned away from hospitals? What is the matter with you?
- truthteller - Thursday, Nov 12, 20 @ 6:58 am:
and this is a surprise? Disgusting to think this is a surprise to anyone. We have been warned for MONTHS for what is coming and too many people still ignored all the safety rules. So sit back and watch thousands more illinoians needlessly die. No one is thinking about the collateral deaths of people who would otherwise be saved when they have heart attacks, strokes and the like because our healthcare system have sunk into the abyss
- Lincoln Lad - Thursday, Nov 12, 20 @ 7:55 am:
When will there be an opportunity to vote Langfelder out of office?
- Chatham Resident - Thursday, Nov 12, 20 @ 8:08 am:
==When will there be an opportunity to vote Langfelder out of office?==
Next Springfield mayor’s election isn’t until April 2023. Unless enough candidates announce, making a primary required and he’s primaried out that February.
- Lincoln Lad - Thursday, Nov 12, 20 @ 8:27 am:
Now that the virus denial chief has lost his election overwhelmingly - can we get behind the scientists who’ve studied and prepared for this their entire careers? Or do we have to wait for tens (hundreds?) of thousands of more deaths before we take this all seriously?
- Shane Falco - Thursday, Nov 12, 20 @ 8:28 am:
Why are schools still open? My wife’s school (Orland Park) started back with kids last week. Within 3 days, 5 of the 18 kids whose parents opted for in-person are out; 3 kids have covid and 2 must quarantine. One of the kids with covid rode the bus, so another group of students there must quarantine as well.
The school board met this Monday and said everything is under control. Meanwhile cases are increasing every day.
- JS Mill - Thursday, Nov 12, 20 @ 8:32 am:
= which is in a region that appears to be completely ignoring state mitigations…=
It isn’t an appearance, it is a fact. Local electeds are part of the problem. I will be interested to hear what they say when it impacts them personally.
- The Doc - Thursday, Nov 12, 20 @ 8:58 am:
==If the numbers don’t level out by end of week and JB doesn’t shut it down I will 100% stop supporting JB.==
Unclear on the concept, to coin a phrase. What’s your alternative - throwing support to the Baily/DeVore dead ender crowd?
Opting to withdraw support from the one person who’s both willing and able to most positively impact IL’s response seems…misguided.
- Sayitaintso - Thursday, Nov 12, 20 @ 9:07 am:
When Langfelder isn’t looking confused (rarely the case), he decides to make the wrong decision. A real prize for Springfield.
- Arock - Thursday, Nov 12, 20 @ 9:12 am:
The current testing system isn’t the answer, a not as accurate home paper test would do far more good than the current testing system. Regeneron and Lily antibody treatment should have been geared up for the elderly long ago. Is Far UV-C light safe or not, it could be the exact tool we need to keep inside air disinfected. It is airborne and we are lacking in using proper methods to keep the air indoor air virus free.
- Publius - Thursday, Nov 12, 20 @ 9:15 am:
Hopefully Missouri won’t send all the Illinois patients back. Not sure how we are tracking that.
- Moe Berg - Thursday, Nov 12, 20 @ 9:15 am:
Maybe the Tribune will revisit its irresponsible Oct. 28 editorial in which it declared, “We side with the mayor,” when Lori Lightfoot was resisting the governor’s order to shut down restaurants and bars to indoor dining. She eventually relented.
Maybe time for a check-in with Leader Durkin on how he’s viewing everything, because that same day he was holding a press conference to deny there was evidence that restaurants were causing spread in DuPage.
- Leigh John-Ella - Thursday, Nov 12, 20 @ 9:20 am:
It’s like the mayor of Springfield just now realized that the hospitals in Springfield aren’t “Springfield hospitals” and what that might mean. It would help if the city had a leader who had at some point in his life actually ventured outside Sangamon County to catch a glimpse of reality.
- OneMan - Thursday, Nov 12, 20 @ 9:29 am:
My wife who is in healthcare fully expects Illinois to go with the ‘if you are asymptomatic you can still work in healthcare even if you test positive’ in the near future.
- hisgirlfriday - Thursday, Nov 12, 20 @ 9:48 am:
I would like a lockdown because my employer won’t let us work from home otherwise but it is hard for me to imagine any politician calling for a lockdown in the season of family gatherings for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- Joe Bidenopolous - Thursday, Nov 12, 20 @ 9:53 am:
===Illinois COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased 76 percent in the past two weeks===
Talk about depressing. Today’s 7-day rolling average of new cases is over 11,000 but 14 days ago it was about 5,000. Kind of scary to think where hospitals will be two weeks from now.
- RegionalAwareness - Thursday, Nov 12, 20 @ 10:22 am:
Then there’s this…lack of consistent planning breeds further consistent failure
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/gov-parson-relaxes-school-guidance-on-coronavirus-quarantines-in-missouri/article_1f23af61-fa37-56d4-9db6-548c1c10f02e.html#utm_source=stltoday.com&utm_campaign=%2Fnewsletter-templates%2Fbreaking&utm_medium=PostUp&utm_content=eb514041a30c0f8b2e37043fe7922588c28443f3
- Anon221 - Thursday, Nov 12, 20 @ 10:26 am:
OneMan- ND is going that way and has the “grace” of the CDC, but the nurses are pushing back. I could only really see that working if asymptomatic healthcare staff worked in a COVID-19 only hospital within the hospital system, and even then it may not be the best choice. https://tinyurl.com/y3tnwr5y
Wisconsin is having to come up with an entire new rating category for county levels-
https://www.nbc15.com/2020/11/12/covid-19-is-so-bad-in-wisconsin-dhs-needed-a-whole-new-category/
- illinifan - Thursday, Nov 12, 20 @ 10:39 am:
Son who is an ER doc says they were telling administrators to hire and keep staff on board to address a future surge. Instead the hospital cut staff due to budget issues. Now they need the staff but they are not available to hire. So existing staff will be pushed to the limits. Many staff can’t come back as they are needed at home due to children being home. The only answer is shut it down, mask up, and stop spreading the virus.
- Ares - Thursday, Nov 12, 20 @ 10:42 am:
We are in a war. Allow interested senior RN and LPN students in Illinois schools graduate and be licensed by December, bring them onboard in this State, and forgive their student loans in return. Pause the EDGE grants to pay for the “War on COVID” effort.
- Joe Bidenopolous - Thursday, Nov 12, 20 @ 11:19 am:
==OneMan- ND is going that way and has the “grace” of the CDC, but the nurses are pushing back. ==
Iowa issued guidance this week allowing COVID-positive health care workers to continue working, with the caveat that they can only work with COVID patients.
- Huh? - Thursday, Nov 12, 20 @ 12:46 pm:
My house is under the flight path for the hospital helipad. Before covid19, I would hear a helicopter once a month, it that. Lately, it has been several times a week flying patients to Peoria.
- The Velour Nail - Thursday, Nov 12, 20 @ 1:38 pm:
Huh — Before covid19, I would hear a helicopter once a month, it that. Lately, it has been several times a week flying patients to Peoria.
I live near First Avenue/Route 171 in suburban Cook County between Interstate 55 and Loyola Medical Center. I too can attest to the anecdotal uptick, though in ambulances, which you now hear several times a day and previously only heard intermittently every few days.
- Ares - Thursday, Nov 12, 20 @ 2:24 pm:
FYI, the “street price” (before insurance) of an airlift from Palos Hospital to Loyola is $43,500. It’s “only” $7000 at Medicare rates. A mask costs much, much less.
- Wolverine - Thursday, Nov 12, 20 @ 3:31 pm:
- The Velour Nail - Thursday, Nov 12, 20 @ 1:38 pm:
“Before covid19, I would hear a helicopter once a month, it that. Lately, it has been several times a week flying patients to Peoria.”
Ditto, I live on chopper flight path to local hospital in CU. Use to get flyover once or twice a week. There was a two day a few weeks ago that there were so many that I started humming ‘Suicide is Painless’ and had to resist the urge to yell ‘Incoming!’ at the first sound of rotors in the distance.