Hospital in Springfield, Missouri, runs out of ventilators as COVID cases ravage the area

[Mary Wilson]

JULY 05, 2021 12:42 PM,
UPDATED 7 HOURS 34 MINUTES AGO
BY LISA GUTIERREZ

A hospital in Springfield, Missouri, ran out of ventilators for its patients over the Fourth of July weekend as the area, right in the middle of a COVID-19 hot spot, deals with a rise in cases.

On Monday, Mercy Springfield hospital officials reported that more ventilators had arrived, a second COVID-19 ICU unit was opened and that more respiratory therapists are needed to help the “tired” ones working now.

Chief administrative officer, Erik Frederick, tweeted Sunday that the hospital “spent the night looking for ventilators because we ran out.”

He wrote that the hospital had 47 patients on ventilators, “a lot of those are COVID but not all.”

He said more ventilators were on their way from Mercy St. Louis and Mercy Northwest Arkansas in Rogers, Arkansas, other hospitals in the Mercy health system.

https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/health-care/article252579068.html

 

[Mary Wilson]

US sends Covid-19 surge team to southwest Missouri after Delta variant fuels rise in cases and hospitalizations

Updated 3:58 PM ET, Wed July 7, 2021
By Aya Elamroussi

The US government is deploying a Covid-19 surge team to provide public health support in southwest Missouri, where the spread of the virus is filling up hospital beds once again.

... In Missouri, the surge team will include an epidemiologist, research assistants, a health communication specialist, contact tracers and others who will help with vaccination and outreach, according to the health department.
"More team members will be added, both remotely and in person, to assist with data and research, vaccine uptake strategies and outreach," said Lisa Cox, a communications director with the Missouri health department. ...

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/07/health/us-coronavirus-wednesday/index.html