Coronavirus volumes are flattening out at Newman Regional Health, but Chief Executive Officer Bob Wright and other administrators are bracing for another spike in cases by mid-December.
After the Newman Regional Health Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday, Wright said ExpressCare, where the respiratory clinic is located, saw traffic dip to 22 patients a day after being as high as 45 a day in mid-November. Testing numbers are down from around 100 per day to around 50 a day. Inpatient traffic has been between 11 and 14, largely because that’s now the standard for staff-based capacity.
Staffers are being asked to take extra shifts at this time, so the hospital has instituted an extra duty pay as an incentive. Wright says some contract staff are coming in later this month to help bolster the current workforce.
Also, Wright is now isolating after contracting COVID-19. Wright started developing mild symptoms while in quarantine this past weekend after his wife came down with the virus. He received an antibody infusion following Wednesday’s meeting.
Newman Regional Health administrators will join KVOE’s Newsmaker 2 segment at 8:20 am with more details about the hospital’s current situation and ongoing response to COVID-19.
