ARIZONA, USA — Arizona faces “a very dark winter” as coronavirus cases surge for a second time this year, according to the top health care executive at Phoenix-based Banner Health, the state’s largest hospital network.
With cases projected to peak in the middle of December, Banner is racing to hire enough staff to keep up, Marjorie Bessel, Banner’s chief clinical officer, said during a virtual news conference.
Banner also faces tough decisions on patient care as it bulks up.
Over the last two weeks, Arizona coronavirus cases have hit levels last seen during the worst two weeks of the summer surge. This winter wave could crest around Christmas.
The fear now is that the Thanksgiving holiday weekend could fuel a spike similar to the one after Memorial Day in Arizona.
With her staff at risk of being further depleted by the fast-spreading coronavirus, Bessel repeatedly urged Arizonans to wear masks and keep personal contacts to a minimum.
"I would ask everybody out there to take personal accountability for making sure that you mitigate," she said. "Every single time you go outside of your circle of people that you live with, you are increasing your risk of either catching COVID or potentially spreading COVID."
Here are the key takeaways from Bessel’s presentation:
- Banner plans to expand its licensed bed capacity to 125% within two weeks, beyond the current 100%. The hospital chain will add beds, equipment and staff.
- The greatest challenge in taking on more patients is staffing, Bessel said. Banner has hired 1,000 health care workers from out of state and is recruiting 900 more. But it’s competing for talent with hospitals across the COVID-ravaged country.
- The impact on care might be felt in several ways. The statewide “surge line” has been activated, allowing hospitals to move patients to other, non-network facilities that have space. Bessel acknowledged Banner was taking some patients from New Mexico.
- Elective surgeries are being reviewed on a case-by-case basis, Bessel said. Gov. Doug Ducey restricted elective surgeries during the spring-summer pandemic peak, but hospitals received waivers to get around the cap. Elective surgeries are a vital source of hospital revenues.
- In response to a reporter’s question, Bessel said Banner might allow staff members with asymptomatic coronavirus to continue working if staffing needs were pressing.
“That would certainly be something we would try to avoid, if at all possible,” she said, “but something we recognize may have to come into play.”
- Banner plans to distribute the first of two required doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine as soon as Dec. 14, Bessel said. The first recipients will be health care workers and first responders.
There will be three distribution sites in Arizona: the State Fairgrounds in Phoenix; Banner Del Webb Medical Center in Sun City West; and Banner University Medical Center’s Tucson campus.
Bessel said the vaccine's impact wouldn't be felt until next year.
She added a reality check: The vaccine "is not something that is going to change our trajectory or surge curve in December."
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