Prescott-area hospitals near capacity with virus spike
Relying on network to offer assistance

As coronavirus cases surge in Yavapai County, the YRMC west campus in Prescott is at 92 percent capacity of its licensed 133 beds, with a third unit opened on Monday, Dec. 1, 2020, to accommodate COVID-19 patient care and plans for a fourth are underway. The east campus in Prescott Valley is at 98 percent of their 50 beds. (Courier, file)

As coronavirus cases surge in Yavapai County, the YRMC west campus in Prescott is at 92 percent capacity of its licensed 133 beds, with a third unit opened on Monday, Dec. 1, 2020, to accommodate COVID-19 patient care and plans for a fourth are underway. The east campus in Prescott Valley is at 98 percent of their 50 beds. (Courier, file)

The surge of COVID-19 cases in the Prescott and Prescott Valley areas has placed the two-campus Dignity Health, Yavapai Regional Medical Center at near capacity for in-patient hospitalizations, officials announced on Tuesday.

The YRMC west campus in Prescott is at 92 percent capacity of its licensed 133 beds, with a third unit opened on Monday to accommodate COVID-19 patient care and plans for a fourth are underway, said Ken Boush, the hospital’s communications and marketing director. The east campus in Prescott Valley is at 98 percent of their 50 beds, he said.

YRMC does have leeway in adding extra beds to accommodate overflow but that is based on suitable staffing levels, with the hospital now relying on additional seasonal and travel nursing staff to cover the increasing demand, Boush said. YRMC participates with other state hospitals in a surge overflow system so that patients can be transferred to hospitals with appropriate capacity, he explained.

On Tuesday, YRMC had 61 COVID-19 cases between the two campuses. The Prescott VA has an additional five cases at their facility. Since the pandemic hit Yavapai County, the highest number of cases prior to this week was 47 in July.

“This just shows how much things can change, and it’s going to continue to be that way,” said the hospital spokesman who participates daily in medical briefings with top staff to provide the most up-to-date public communications.

Along with the rise in COVID-19 cases, Boush said YRMC doctors and practitioners are equally concerned about ensuring they are ready and able to care for those who may have other acute or medical needs that require hospitalization. In the early months of the pandemic, the hospital learned of individuals who for fear of contracting the virus opted against seeking care to their detriment of their own health. “We can’t have people who need care not present for care. We don’t want to exacerbate those (care) situations. It’s a fine balance we’re walking here with capacity.”

The hospital did suspend elective surgeries that require in-patient hospitalization, but is still offering outpatient surgeries based on patient need.

YRMC’s new affiliation with Dignity Health, as well as its ongoing participation with the state health care network, does provide options for patients beyond the local campuses, Boush said. YRMC remains in constant communication with fellow hospitals to determine who has bed space and who does not. In slow periods, YRMC offers care to patients from other communities and now is at a place where they may need to do likewise for some of their patients. In just the last week, YRMC accepted a patient from northern Arizona and transferred two of their patients elsewhere.

The YRMC medical staff has proved extremely flexible given the pandemic crisis, rotating medical staff from other departments as needed, Boush boasted. So far, he said, this flexibility between departments and shifts has allowed the hospital to maintain suitable patient ratios – one-to-four or five for regular care and one-to-one or two for intensive care.

The hospital also is looking at ways to cohort COVID patients with less demanding care needs, he said.

As for adequate supply of ventilators and other equipment specific to COVID-19 care, Boush said the hospital now has plenty of oxygen and personal protective gear for its providers. Even with the current patient load, Boush said there are only six patients who require ventilators, he said.

“Our materials management team has done an amazing job to get stock on hand for our team,” Boush said.

One of the dilemmas for YRMC, and other hospitals across the state, is a lack of area skilled nursing or long-term facilities with capacity to accept discharged COVID-19 patients who no longer require hospitalization, but still need care they cannot obtain at home, Boush said.

For others in the community, Boush said the YRMC Medical Group is offering telehealth as an option to patients who do not require in-person visits. This is to reduce chances of exposure, particularly to those with compromised immune systems or chronic medical ailments. Many private practitioners are doing likewise.

The medical group, too, is rotating doctors and practitioners so as to limit exposure to the virus that might require closing a clinic, he said.

Looking ahead, Boush said hospital leaders are striving to be prepared for whatever comes.

“We just don’t know what we’re going to see one day to the next, nonetheless a month down the road,” Boush said.

He offered this plea to the community: “Pease wear your mask. Please wash your hands. Please do what you can to protect those around you. We all are getting mask fatigue; we’re all in the same place. But we cannot let our guard down. Those things make a difference, and a little difference can go a long way.”


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