Health

Covid patients strain Southeast Michigan hospitals again, bumping surgeries

December 08, 2021, 10:03 PM by  Alan Stamm

Surgeries are being postponed at Henry Ford Health System and the University of Michigan Medical Center as the continuing Covid surge forces steps not taken widely since 2020 pandemic waves.

Featured_covid_hospital_icu__depositphotos_51662
(Photo: DepositPhotos)

Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor, which had 105 coronavirus cases Monday, is diverting surgical teams to aid in their treatment, Crain's Detroit Business reports after a media conference call by administrators Wednesday.

"Patients who don't receive timely surgery are dying," said Marschall Runge, CEO of Michigan Medicine and medical school dean. "[The unvaccinated] are risking the lives of others who may die from preventable diseases who can't get their health care."

The university system's 1,007-bed main hospital was at 90-perecent capacity for in-patients at the start of this week, according to state data posted Wednesday. "Covid-19 is overrunning our hospitals," Runge is quoted as saying in a Michigan Medicine tweet.

Henry Ford's five-hospital system also describes itself as nearly overwhelmed by trhe virus.

"Our numbers of in-patients right now are putting us at capacity on an almost daily basis," a top executive -- Bob Riney, president of healthcare operations and chief operating officer -- said last Friday, as reported by Michigan Advance.

"If we continue to have more Covid in-patient hospitalizations … we would have to curtail elective procedures in a more advanced way." ...

Riney added that the health system will only be able to continue offering all of its procedures "if we see a decline in the rapidly rising Covid admissions."

As of Monday, the five Ford sites had 536 pandemic patients -- up from 420 three days earlier. 

Statewide, hospitals cared for 4,630 adults and 59 pediatric patients with Covid diagnoses or symptoms as this week began, Department of Health and Human Services data shows.

Southeast Michigan hospitals had nearly 2,300 adults with confirmed or suspended Covid diagnoses on Monday in the tricounty Detroit area and three nearby counties (Washtenaw, Monroe and St. Clair). In addition, they were treating 33 pediatric cases.

The eight-hospital Beaumont Health group started this week with 615 Covid patients, including 80 ICU cases. Three of its sites -- Troy, Trenton and Wayne -- were at 92-percent capacity or higher. (Beaumont Troy had only five open beds out of 530 on Monday.)

These Metro Detroit hospitals also are crowded, partly because of Michigan's fourth Covid surge since spring 2020, according to Monday's latest patient census from the state health agency:

  • Detroit Receiving: 44 Covid patients, 12 in ICU | 99% overall occupancy

  • Ascension Macomb Oakland, Warren: 120 Covid patients, including 30 in ICU | 93% of capacity

  • Ascension Providence, Southfield: 94 Covid patients, 17 in ICU | 90% occupancy

  • Ascension Macomb Oakland, Madison Heights: 98 Covid patients, 18 in ICU | 68% full

  • St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, Pontiac: 83 Covid cases, 8 in ICU | 83% full

  • McLaren Macomb, Mt. Clemens: 69 Covid patients, 9 in ICU | 91% occupancy

Related today:

Michigan Records 15,385 New Covid Cases and 351 Deaths Over Two Days



Leave a Comment:

Photo Of The Day