BVHS faces staffing shortage

Blanchard Valley Health System — like its counterparts around the state and the country — is facing staffing challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Blanchard Valley Hospital is now operating at close to capacity, with beds filling up quickly. Administrators say they are coming up with ways to address these issues, but the general public can make things easier and keep hospital staff safer by taking steps to prevent the spread of the virus. Last week, leaders of Ohio's hospitals — including St. Rita's in Lima — spoke at a press conference organized by Gov. Mike DeWine, saying staffing was becoming an issue as employees either got sick with the virus or had to be quarantined because someone else was sick. Blanchard Valley CEO Scott Malaney said BVHS is facing some significant staffing shortages, both in its nursing homes and at Blanchard Valley Hospital. He said the health system is addressing these challenges by moving staff members from other areas. For example, someone who has a clinical background but is now doing something else like administrative work might be temporarily moved to the bedside. Paul Worstell, chairman of the health system's board of trustees, said he wanted to recognize the people who work for the health system. "They are fighting the good fight right now," he said. The intensive care unit is "usually pretty full," but not all of this is due to COVID-19, said Dr. Bill Kose, vice president of special projects. He said they have added beds that are similar to intensive care in the hospital's negative pressure rooms, designed for COVID-19 patients with special ventilation so air from inside the rooms does not circulate in the rest of the building. Those beds are also "close to being full," Kose said. He said the hospital's census was 118 patients on Wednesday. On Tuesday, it was 129. The hospital is licensed for 150 beds. However, this includes psychiatric and obstetrics beds. Kose said obstetrics beds are licensed specifically for OB patients, so the number of regular beds available is closer to 130. Kose also said the health system asked the state if it could take 12 beds that were designated for obstetrics overflow and instead use them as regular beds. BVHS did receive permission to do this. Kose said 138 patients were seen in the emergency department on Tuesday. Normal for this time of year is 110 to 115 patients, he said. The emergency department is also seeing more younger adults in the ER with the virus, Kose said. As of Tuesday morning, Kose said there were patients in the emergency department who had to stay there for a longer than usual period before being admitted. They had to wait until the bed was available, either because a patient was discharged or because a nurse was starting their shift to take care of patients. Kose said these situations have become more common in the last couple of weeks. Kose said the hospital is operating at close to capacity. And, yes, they're considering contingency plans. So, should the public be worried? Kose said you might have to wait in the emergency department longer before being admitted. But he said that, if you are sick and in the hospital, you will be taken care of. There are contingency plans, and the health system has relationships with other hospitals — some of which are also being hard hit by the virus, but some less so. "Our biggest thing is keeping the workforce healthy," he said. And he said if everyone — whether they work at the hospital or not — does their part by wearing a mask, keeping social distance and avoiding crowds, it will help in that effort. "The more you can just follow those guidelines" the better off the hospital will be, Kose said. Kose said he's concerned when people say we need to get to herd immunity. Right now, approximately 3% of the Hancock County population has had the virus, he said. We would need 20 times that number to get sick in order to reach herd immunity. He said the vaccine on the horizon, however, does offer hope. "We just need to hang in there," he said.