DES MOINES, Iowa — As we wait for therapeutics and vaccines, Iowa leaders are working to slow the spread of COVID-19 so hospitals and health care workers in the state aren’t stressed.
Tuesday, more than 170 doctors, nurses and health care leaders released a joint statement calling on Iowans to do their part.
"Yes, we're front line workers, but really, when you come to see us in the hospitals, we're your last hope," said Dr. Tammy Chance, medical director of quality initiatives at Boone County Hospital.
Already, at least one Iowa hospital reported having to postpone some time-sensitive surgeries and many are struggling with staffing and bed shortages.
"We're going to run out of staff before we run out of beds,” said Dr. Michael McCoy, chief medical officer at Great River Health.
Right now, COVID-19 cases in Iowa are skyrocketing.
During a scheduled coronavirus briefing Tuesday, Gov. Kim Reynolds said last week’s statewide positivity rate was 14.7%.
Reynolds said that figure is still too high, but it's heading in the right direction.
The week prior, the statewide positivity rate was 24%.
“If these trends continue, physicians, nurses and support staff will suffer additional stress and risk infection, illness and death,” Iowa Hospital Association President and CEO Kirk Norris said.
Officials said some hospitals are now starting to make difficult decisions to cancel certain elective and necessary procedures.
"There are hospitals having to make decisions not just on electives, but on more time-sensitive operations as well, based on the availability of ICU beds,” said Jennifer Nutt, vice president of Nursing and Clinical Services at the Iowa Hospital Association.
Nutt said she’s also starting to see trends of more frequent hospital transfers as systems attempt to keep patient counts manageable.
“As our smaller hospitals are needing to transfer patients to a higher level of care due to acuity level, we also have our larger hospitals now starting to transfer less acute, healthier patients down to the smaller hospitals to make room,” Nutt said.
These doctors and health care workers said to help, all Iowans need to step up and do their part.
“If we don't, as a community, rally around supporting our health care systems and attempting to minimize the spread, we could be in a dire situation over the next several weeks,” said Dr. Hijinio Carreon, chief medical officer at MercyOne Des Moines.
You can help by fighting COVID-fatigue.
That means continue following mitigation measures like frequent hand washing, staying home when possible and wearing masks when in public.
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