As Wisconsin’s coronavirus cases continue to surge, some hospitals are wait-listing patients, or sending them to other facilities, according to an article on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel website.
The cities of Green Bay, Wausau and the Fox Valley are particularly hard hit. Bellin Hospital in Green Bay was at 94 percent capacity last week.
Bellin hopes to convert a facility on its campus into another space for hospital beds and is teaching nonclinical workers, such as athletic trainers, how to deliver supplies and move patients so nurses can focus on duties only they can perform, the article said.
State health officials said Wisconsin is considering opening a state-run field hospital due to the surge in cases.
Hospitals are already looking ahead to flu season, according to an article on the Observer-Reporter website. Some hospitals are stockpiling personal protective equipment (PPE), including masks, face shields and gowns. The pandemic already has strained the worldwide supply of PPE, including masks, face shields and gowns.
Read the full Journal Sentinel article.