Baptist South, Beaches add 100 COVID ward beds to deal with ‘3rd patient surge’

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Sarah Collins/Courtesy of Baptist Health

To attraction for the accrued fig of COVID-19 patients successful their hospitals, Baptist South and Baptist Beaches person added much than 100 further beds successful their Care Expansion Units.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Baptist Health reported its highest fig this week of COVID-19 patients successful intensive attraction with 107 successful ICU astatine its 5 hospitals connected Saturday.

As the wellness strategy battles its “third diligent surge” with 560 patients crossed its 5 hospitals, its Baptist South and Baptist Beaches facilities person present added much than 100 beds successful their COVID wards.

According to numbers released by the Florida Hospital Association, the authorities reported 13,348 full COVID-19 hospitalizations arsenic of Saturday.

Baptist said the request for the beds astatine its 2 hospitals was anticipated by its Epidemic Response Plan, which predicts surges successful diligent volumes and helps the hospitals beryllium prepared for them.

“It makes consciousness to beryllium prepared, and it’s unfortunate that we’re successful this situation, but we are,” said Dr. Sunil Joshi, an immunologist with Baptist Health.

Baptist said 14 of the 560 COVID-19 patients it’s treating successful its wellness strategy are astatine Wolfson Children’s Hospital, and 5 of those children are present successful the ICU.

Baptist said 76 caller COVID-19 affirmative patients were admitted Friday, and 4 of those caller patients were children.

More than 90% of the existent COVID patients astatine Baptist property 12 and older are not afloat vaccinated, the infirmary said.

Joshi said the highest of COVID cases is overmuch steeper this year.

“Last year, remember, the cardinal words were ‘flatten the curve,’ truthful it doesn’t get truthful precocious that, you know, we overrun hospitals,” Joshi said. “It conscionable seems similar we’re going up overmuch faster and overmuch steeper. That’s specified a interest due to the fact that if it keeps going up astatine this level is erstwhile the hospitals could get implicit capacity.”

Baptist Health said the expanded areas astatine some Baptist South and Baptist Beaches were antecedently “shell space” with walls, windows, an HVAC strategy and restrooms, but nary interior improvements oregon finishes.

Baptist said each diligent abstraction tin enactment high-flow oxygen equipment, IV pumps, beds and monitors needed for patients to person the aforesaid attraction they would person successful a accepted unit.

“While this is not aesthetically appealing, the objective attraction provided is fantabulous fixed our acquisition and committedness to making country to attraction for each patients successful need,” Baptist said.

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