Republic file photo An exterior view of Columbus Regional Hospital’s sign directing patients to the emergency entrance.
COLUMBUS, Ind. — Columbus Regional Hospital continues to cope with a surge in hospitalizations — with dozens of COVID-19 patients filling beds — while an increasing number of staff missing work due to testing positive for coronavirus adds to the strain.
There were 51 people hospitalized with COVID-19 at CRH on Monday, up from 45 the day before, the hospital said. Four coronavirus patients were listed in critical condition Monday morning.
The total hospital census was running in the “mid- to high-170s” on Monday, which is down from the record 198 seen last week but still considerably higher than what the hospital would generally see this time of year before the pandemic.
By comparison, 100 to 120 hospitalizations on the same day would have been considered “very busy” in previous years, hospital officials said.
The hospital’s staffed occupancy rate was hovering around 90% to 95% on Monday, CRH officials said.
“Things are still incredibly tight,” said CRH spokeswoman Kelsey DeClue. “Surge protocols (are) still in place.”
“Just as we’re seeing in community spread, we’ve had recent increases in staff positives and illness,” DeClue added.
The update comes as CRH continues to be at its most overwhelmed point of the pandemic so far as officials struggle to handle a flood of patients amid the worst coronavirus wave in a year.
Several times over the past month, CRH has set new all-time inpatient census records, reaching 198 on at least two occasions — the most ever in the hospital’s 104-year history.
Hospital officials have warned that the crush of patients has been placing in jeopardy the space and resources needed for patients with unavoidable medical emergencies or accidents.
COVID-19 patients have generally accounted for one-fourth to one-third of CRH’s total hospitalizations as of late, “placing serious strain on vital resources, such as space, equipment and staffing,” the hospital said. About 80% of coronavirus patients at CRH — 4 out of 5 — are unvaccinated.
“The space and crucial resources needed for victims of unavoidable medical emergencies or accidents is in jeopardy, being consumed, in-part, by people being hospitalized by a largely avoidable and preventable disease — COVID-19,” the hospital said in a recent statement.
For the complete story, see Wednesday’s Republic.
