[M T]

In another post, I noted a sharp drop in total number of total hospital beds from the week before Thanksgiving to Thanksgiving week.  (I hypothesized this might be due to staff vacations, but that was apparently wrong.)  Now, their numbers show the lower numbers further back.

At their website, SCC notes

We are in the process of correcting historical data for bed availability in both the ICU and non-ICU. Some hospitals had their surge beds included in these counts, while only non-surge beds are meant to be reflected. The most recent counts of available beds will be lower than they previously appeared, showing a recent decline in the availability of non-surge hospital beds. This is due to the removal of surge beds in the bed availability count.

I downloaded the data base of hospitalization numbers that was posted on 11/27 and the same data base posted on 11/28.
Per the 11/27 data, the number of ICU available (staffed, but unoccupied) beds from 11/15 to 11/25 were:  
  264, 268, 248, 239, 235, 240,  95, 122,  68,  48,  56
Per the 11/28 data, those numbers are
   93,  97,  77,  68,  64,  69,  58,  85,  68,  48,  56
The difference is
  171, 171, 171, 171, 171, 171,  37,  37,   0,   0,   0

For available non-ICU beds, 11/27 data has
  741, 736, 617, 586, 597, 641, 604, 670, 534, 254, 273
11/28 data has
  516, 511, 393, 361, 372, 419, 378, 445, 446, 254, 273
Difference
  225, 225, 224, 225, 225, 222, 226, 225,  88,   0,   0

This may explain why Dr. Cody gave a 3 week date for overflow but my calculations showed room still available after 4 weeks.

I hope they publish the surge bed counts.  There is a lot of difference between sending people back home with no professional care than putting them in beds were they can get (say) 90% of the care they would have gotten if the hospital weren't at capacity.


Similarly, staffing for hospitals can be adjusted under emergency conditions.  Obviously no one wants to adjust staff under these conditions, but it is being done.  As one of our members pointed out, doctors (and nurses, etc.) do get asked to work in areas that aren't their specialty.  Not ideal, but hopefully they can deal with the somewhat normal requirements and can call in the specialists when required.

[M T]

In another post, I noted a sharp drop in total number of total hospital beds from the week before Thanksgiving to Thanksgiving week.  (I hypothesized this might be due to staff vacations, but that was apparently wrong.)  Now, their numbers show the lower numbers further back.

At their website, SCC notes

We are in the process of correcting historical data for bed availability in both the ICU and non-ICU. Some hospitals had their surge beds included in these counts, while only non-surge beds are meant to be reflected. The most recent counts of available beds will be lower than they previously appeared, showing a recent decline in the availability of non-surge hospital beds. This is due to the removal of surge beds in the bed availability count.

I downloaded the data base of hospitalization numbers that was posted on 11/27 and the same data base posted on 11/28.
Per the 11/27 data, the number of ICU available (staffed, but unoccupied) beds from 11/15 to 11/25 were:  
  264, 268, 248, 239, 235, 240,  95, 122,  68,  48,  56
Per the 11/28 data, those numbers are
   93,  97,  77,  68,  64,  69,  58,  85,  68,  48,  56
The difference is
  171, 171, 171, 171, 171, 171,  37,  37,   0,   0,   0

For available non-ICU beds, 11/27 data has
  741, 736, 617, 586, 597, 641, 604, 670, 534, 254, 273
11/28 data has
  516, 511, 393, 361, 372, 419, 378, 445, 446, 254, 273
Difference
  225, 225, 224, 225, 225, 222, 226, 225,  88,   0,   0

This may explain why Dr. Cody gave a 3 week date for overflow but my calculations showed room still available after 4 weeks.

I hope they publish the surge bed counts.  There is a lot of difference between sending people back home with no professional care than putting them in beds were they can get (say) 90% of the care they would have gotten if the hospital weren't at capacity.


Similarly, staffing for hospitals can be adjusted under emergency conditions.  Obviously no one wants to adjust staff under these conditions, but it is being done.  As one of our members pointed out, doctors (and nurses, etc.) do get asked to work in areas that aren't their specialty.  Not ideal, but hopefully they can deal with the somewhat normal requirements and can call in the specialists when required.