INDIANAPOLIS — Leaders at Indiana University Health on Tuesday said they are continuing to deal with a surge in coronavirus patients at the network’s 16 hospitals across the state.
As of 12 p.m. Tuesday, there were more than 550 coronavirus patients at IU Health hospitals, according to Dr. Chris Weaver, Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer at IU Health.
“In our sixteen hospitals, we currently have 553 COVID-positive patients,” Weaver said. “We’re continuing to see a large number of deaths, with six patients dying per day in our health system.”
As hospitals across the state continue to deal with a rising number of coronavirus patients, IU Health hospitals are also contending with staff shortages.
“They’re leaving the workforce. They’re choosing to do other things. It’s been tough,” said Dr. Weaver. “In addition, now, we’re seeing more and more individuals affected by the spread of this disease, either being out ill or because of exposure.”
Teams from the Indiana National Guard have been deployed to 13 IU Health hospitals and a team from FEMA has been helping at IU Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis since before Christmas.
Weaver said these teams have been a “great help” at IU Health hospitals.
An additional National Guard team, made up of clinical and non-clinical staff, is expected at Riley Children’s Health by the end of the week.
There are more children being admitted to Riley Children’s Health with COVID right now than during any previous wave of the virus, according to Dr. Elaine Cox, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Riley Children’s Health.
“More than half of the children admitted are spending time in the ICU and at least 40-percent of those are spending time on the ventilator,” Cox said.
When they arrive, National Guard members will be used in clinical and non-clinical roles, according to Cox.
“In addition, Riley is receiving National Guard support to help with the clinical and some non-clinical issues,” said Cox. “Our supply chain, our environmental services team, our pharmacists, our food and nutrition people are also becoming ill with COVID. We will get a couple of clinical National Guardsmen and four non-clinical [Guardsmen] who will help in those areas I just mentioned…to try and make sure that we can continue to care for all the patients who need Riley services.”
