Hospitals in Oregon's Jackson and Josephine counties are struggling with capacity issues as they battle the latest COVID-19 wave, according to Jefferson Public Radio.
Asante and Providence hospitals in Medford, Ashland and Grants Pass said emergency waiting rooms are crowded, there are long wait times for many, and staff are having to treat some patients in hallways, the regional public radio broadcasting network reported.
"If you come to our hospital for any reason, we might not be able to help you," Amanda Kotler, RN, vice president of nursing at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford and Asante Ashland Community Hospital, said during an Aug. 12 news conference cited in the report. "We're out of beds, our staff are stretched, and we have limited resources. We are trying, but we're running out of options."
Jason Kuhl, MD, chief medical officer of Providence Medford Medical Center, also mentioned the possibility of utilizing cots in conference rooms, if needed. Additionally, Ms. Kotler said Asante has had to cancel hundreds of surgeries and deny patient transfers.
This strain comes as Oregon's COVID-19 hospitalization rate reached 16 per 100,000 residents Aug. 13. State hospitalizations per 100,000 are up 128 percent in the past 14 days, the fifth-largest increase among all states.
To address the challenges, county officials requested state help establishing a 300-bed field hospital for noncritical patients, according to Jefferson Public Radio. Still, hospitals in Jackson and Josephine counties said additional staff is needed to meet demand.
Read Jefferson Public Radio's full report here.