News Release GPH
As hospitalizations due to COVID-19 continue to rise across the nation and with Nebraska seeing an all-time high in hospitalizations, hospitals across the state are nearing capacity. Great Plains Health is no exception.
“To date, we have not exceeded capacity, but that could change very quickly,” said Mel McNea, Great Plains Health chief executive officer. “Hospital capacity fluctuates based on several factors that, at times, vary by the hour.” Currently, Great Plains Health has approximately 76 staffed beds and nearly 30 of those beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients.
“Mel McNea, our CEO, is administrator-on-call this week, which means that he is evaluating every case, every day to ensure we are still able to provide safe care to our region,” said Megan McGown, marketing manager. “Hospital leadership is assessing services to match care demands, bed availability and staffing.”
“Much like hospitals across the state, we are about as full as we can get and still serve the needs of the region,” said McNea. “This is a fluid situation with staff availability, varying acuity of patients and the resources needed to care for COVID patients, treat traumas and continuing to care for sick patients. The capacity issue is not unique to Great Plains Health. Across Nebraska, there are only 26 percent of beds available and that number is shrinking quickly.”
“We need every member of our community to help change the course of this disease,” said McNea. “We are pleading with you all to do the actions that we know work: wear a mask, wash your hands, avoid gatherings, stay home when you are sick and maintain a six-foot social distance from others.”