Since Friday, the Arizona Department of Health Services has reported two deaths from the COVID-19 virus, and confirmed virus cases in the state have risen from 104 Saturday to 234 Monday, including 2 presumptive cases here in Yuma County. At the same time, hospitals are preparing for an expected surge of patients across Arizona due to the virus.
Concerns have been expressed that the state's hospitals might not be prepared for the influx. But the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Yuma Regional Medical Center, Dr. Robert Trenschel, thinks YRMC is ready for what he calls a "significant surge." A key reason why is that the hospital is currently half empty, unusual for this time of year.....
DR. ROBERT TRENSCHEL...That indicates to me that some people have either left early and have gone back to their homes, or are just not coming into the emergency department. But we believe we have the capacity to handle a significant surge...:13
Additionally, Dr. Trenschel says the hospital has some "flex capacity" to add some additional bed capacity and nursing capacity. Dr. Trenschel says no hospital can handle a massive surge of patients. So it's critical that people follow the guidelines for hand washing, staying home and social distancing to keep the number of cases down.