Hospitals across the region continue to be overwhelmed amid the state’s largest and worst COVID-19 surge, as ICU capacity in the Bay Area has dropped to 3%, its lowest level yet, state officials say.
Now, California’s largest hospital-industry group is calling on the state to do more in relieving a “bottlenecking” of care.
"In California, some counties have placed a ban on skilled nursing facilities accepting or admitting patients from the hospital," said Carmela Coyle, president and CEO of the California Hospital Association, during a press call Friday.
Coyle says the inability of physicians to move their patients no longer in need of acute care into a different setting is creating backlogs in hospitals.
She says the bans are unnecessary because hospitals know who is and isn’t infected with the coronavirus at the time of transfer.
“We've got 40,000 new people in the state of California each day becoming COVID-positive," she said. "We've got 23,000 in California's hospitals today with COVID. And we are anticipating another 15,000 individuals between now and the 18th of January needing inpatient hospital care."
Coyle also said hospitals want more relief from “regulatory red tape.”
In the midst of creating surge capacity, she said, hospitals are having to deal with day-to-day regulations that make sense under normal circumstances but should be set aside during the current crisis.
Coyle cited the creation of detailed discharge plans, nurses' notes and other documents that can take two to three hours daily, plus required disaster plan rehearsal, as taking up staff time that should otherwise be used to care for patients.
Hospitals want those regulations “put on pause” through the end of February.
In a response, state epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan said in a statement, “The state is laser-focused on getting hospitals additional staff and resources to assist with responding to the crisis. We are committed to continuing to closely coordinate and partner with hospitals and local leaders to respond to this pandemic and appreciate any suggestions from those on the ground fighting this pandemic every day.”
The California Department of Public Health says it's deployed nearly 1,500 medical personnel to hospitals, skilled nursing homes and other medical facilities to assist in COVID-19 response. It's also requested 500 additional medical providers from the federal government and is trying to build capacity by establishing surge beds in alternative sites across the state.