PHOENIX — Two major Valley hospitals gave updates on their COVID-19 patients and staffing levels Wednesday, and the numbers are getting worse.
By the Numbers
Valleywise Health said its ICU is currently at 90% capacity. Clinical Director Dr. Michael White said during a press conference Wednesday that those levels are high, but still under the July surge levels.
Banner Health said it saw a 90% increase in COVID patients during November. Now half of all ICU patients in the Valley have COVID.
All those numbers are still rising.
Holiday Surge
The hospitals said the Thanksgiving surge is just beginning, and they expect it to continue for the next two weeks at least.
Banner Health said its hospitals will reach surge capacity (100% capacity) by Dec. 9. Clinical Director Dr. Marjorie Bessel said she expects capacity to keep rising past 100% capacity.
Bessel and White both said they expect the surge to peak around the week before Christmas.
Staffing Levels
Both Valleywise and Banner said they're looking for more health care workers to get them through the surge.
"We, like everyone, continue to search far and wide to find people to come into the organization," White said.
"We continue to attract some folks who are able to come to Arizona and help us [but] not to the volume that we would like to have."
Bessel said Banner is planning on redeploying staff from other locations, including corporate staff to help out in hospitals.
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