Lee Health activates surge plan

As Lee Health approaches operational capacity, they kick their surge plan into motion, calling staff back form extended leave.

REPORT...AND HIGHLIGHTING WHATLED UP TO THESE ALLEGEDINCIDENTS.LEE HEALTH IS EXPLAINING SOMESHOCKING NUMBERS.THEIR HOSPITALS ARE REACHINGCAPACITY AS COVID-19 NUMBERSSURGE.DURING TODAY’S MEDIA BRIEFING...THE C-E-O SAID THEIROPERATIONAL BED CAPACITY IS AT97-PERCENT.BUT THAT COULD LOOK DIFFERENTCOMING WEEKS AS EMPLOYEES RETURNFROM EXTENDED LEAVE.FOX 4’S RACHEL LOYD EXPLAINS.:36 - :411:13 - 1:18LLINTRO: DR. LARRY ANTONUCCISAYS 97 PERCENT OF OPERATIONALBED CAPACITY DOESN’T MEAN ONLYTHREE PERCENT OF THEIR TOTALBEDS ARE LEFT.

THEY JUST CAN’TUSE ALL OF THEIR BEDS GIVEN THELIMITED STAFF THEY HAVE RIGHTNOW.

OVERALL, ABOUT 80 PERCENTOF THEIR TOTAL BEDS ARE BEINGUSED.

STILL UNPRECEDENTED FORTHIS TIME OF YEAR.For the first time in memory,we are experiencing a highvolume of patients during thesummer months, due to thepandemic.DR. ANTONUCCI TOLD REPORTERSOVER THE PHONE TODAY LEE HEALTHUSUALLY CLOSES SOME UNITS OVERTHE SUMMER BECAUSE THE BEDSAREN’T NEEDED.

BUT NOW, THEY’RESEEING 35 PERCENT MORE PATIENTSTHAN THEY NORMALLY DO.With that said, our currentcensus is at 97.1 percent ofoperational bed capacity.THEY CAN ONLY USE AS MANY BEDSPROPORTIONATE TO HOW MUCH STAFFTHEY HAVE WORKING.

BACK IN MAYLEE HEALTH OFFERED EMPLOYEESTAKE EXTENDED LEAVE TO CUTOPERATIONAL COSTS AS COVIDNUMBERS DECLINED.

NOW THEY’REACTIVATING THE SECOND PART OFTHEIR PLAN.We are working our surge planincluding reducing electivesurgeries, and bringing in morestaff to open additional beds.BED CAPACITY IS AT ABOUT 85PERCENT.

ONE QUARTER OF THOSEARE 300 COVID-19 PATIENTS.THE CHIEF NURSING OFFICER FORN-C-H IN COLLIER COUNTY JOINEDTHE MEDIA CALL TO PROVIDEUPDATES FROM THEIR FACILITIESOut of our 153 ventilators wehave on hand, 12 are being usedtoday.

Nine of those ventilatorsare for COVID-19 patients.LLTAG: 37 PERCENT OF LEEHEALTH’S VENTILATORS ARECURRENTLY IN USE.

DR. ANTONUCCIENCOURAGED EVERYONE TO DO THEIPART IN BRINGING THOSE NUMBERSDOWN, TOO.

RLF4I