Posted on 11/22/2020 7:43:26 AM PST by DUMBGRUNT
The Illinois Department of Public Health quietly removed thousands of available hospital beds from their data showing how much capacity Illinois’ medical centers have.
The number of available hospital beds is closely tracked by the state as a barometer of how much stress the COVID-19 pandemic is placing on Illinois’ medical system. The state has more than 30,000 total general use hospital beds. The lower the number of free beds, the worse the COVID-19 pandemic is becoming.
“We actually need to know how many beds are available that have staff that could actually work it,” Ezike said. “When you put that extra clause, that actually you would have the staff to man that bed now, the numbers drop significantly.”
Pritzker called the issue “subjective” on the hospitals’ part.
(Excerpt) Read more at thecentersquare.com ...
And I received three or four 'EMERGENCY NOTICES' ON MY CELL PHONE!!! Within the last two days.
They cannot help themselves, they dream of sending out the Russian missiles inbound alert!!! Just like Hawaii.Trump's fault.
I think they removed the beds because of staffing.
It’s a holiday week, so there are a lot of people taking the week off. As a lot of nursing units are union based, the bed to nurse ratio is fixed.
In addition, there is a shortage of nurses all over the country.
My wife’s hospital has had several nurses quit and become “traveler” nurses. There are places in the Midwest and southwest paying 3-4 times what a nurse in MA can make.
In the hospital where my daughter works there are normally 500 open positions. This past week they hit 1,600 openings.
I am not suggesting ANYTHING about governments adjusting bed counts for nefarious uses. I am simply explaining that beds are directly related to staffing levels—and staffing is an issue.
“I am simply explaining that beds are directly related to staffing levels—and staffing is an issue.”
If (God forbid) we end up with socialist control and state-run medical facilities, with wage controls, this will become terrible. And normal forevermore.
There is little to believed from government at any level these days. That’s exactly the way they want it.
I do know someone who was recently in ICU w/Covid in Chicago. They were supposed to send her to a regular room but sent her home on oxygen instead because they had no rooms.
“I think they removed the beds because of staffing.”
Show us ONE other state which did the same - EVER - in the past for that reason.
DA
Yes. I worked at major hospital and had access to License Beds, Available bed info that we used for reports. If they have a decrease in staffing you will see staffed available beds go down.
Licensed Beds: The maximum number of beds for which a hospital holds a license to operate. Staffed beds include those that are occupied and those that are vacant. Unstaffed Beds: Beds that are licensed and physically available and have no current staff on hand to attend to a patient who would occupy the bed.
“I am simply explaining that beds are directly related to staffing levels—and staffing is an issue.”
Some change due to staffing, yes.
But why is it always down?
A niece RN/Xray tech, now spends her days in a hospital parking lot doing COVID testing. That or sit home.
Mammography is her line and I believe she is good at it.
The top down planning is the death of small and rural hospitals. Most have long been on the edge of insolvency.
Are being pushed into extinction.
And what of the communities they serve? Sorry about that.
(Not big city voters)
Your explanation of staffing makes sense.
What is interesting about numbers that are thrown out for the general public is that there is normally not much, if any explanation of just exactly what the numbers mean.
Most news sources would report this as if the available bed numbers were a result of the virus. When in reality as you say it’s a staffing issue.
In my working days I had to deal with the financing of nursing homes.
Untangling the licensed beds from the active beds was quite the challenge—particularly since the owners/operators were not always interested in sharing the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Any newspaper reporter trying to cover these matters would be _way_ over their head. Those who knew anything would never talk to them. Those who would talk to them were either lying or didn’t know anything.
I can only speak for the hospitals that I have first hand knowledge.
One nurse manager had one of her staff come in last week and she and her husband were both going to TX as traveling nurses for nearly 3x their current rate. Of course there are expenses involved with that—but if you are young and no kids it’s like working in an oil boom—you go where the money is and work your ass off.
And yes, Union shops have designated nurse:bed ratios. My wife’s hospital is Union. My daughter’s is not—but the ratios are about the same.
Some older nurses have just called it a day. They know they can go back whenever.
My daughter worked on remote testing sites, and she doesn’t ever want to go back “inside” the hospital.
I am not saying that dead people are stacked up—they are not. Numbers are going up, but the ICUs are available and people are not getting as bad as it was in the spring.
It used to happen all the time when I was working and attending bed meetings every morning. We would have 20-30 beds taken out because we didn’t have the staff.
“Emergency” states activated contract clauses that made it stupid to keep the beds open.
This was a few years ago and not related to COVID, but bed management is a BIG deal in hospitals.
I went to bed meetings every day for 2 1/2 years. It took me a long, long time to get it. I was a telecom guy, so I just sat and listened 90% of the time.
It is also Minnesota. No comments are allowed as the newspaper know it is a lie and they do not want the people making that comment.
‘No beds anywhere’: Minnesota hospitals strained to limit by COVID-19
Open ICU beds were down to single digits in some parts of Minnesota last week, when Gov. Tim Walz ordered a four-week shutdown of bars and other venues.
By Jeremy Olson Star Tribune
November 22, 2020 — 11:40am
https://www.startribune.com/no-beds-anywhere-minnesota-hospitals-strained-to-limit-by-covid-19/573157441/
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.