HEALTH
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Treasure Coast Medical Report
Non-COVID patients, especially those with critical
needs and chronic diseases, also require care. Staffing is a
critical concern, requiring the scope of care to be reduced
in some cases to account for shortages.
“No diagnosis should take up 50% of our hospital beds
and 80% of hospital resources,” Rothman says.
At the beginning of the pandemic, ER visits decreased
dramatically. People were afraid to seek treatment for
other maladies, afraid of being infected. Locally, the
numbers are back up. In some cases, ER patients must be
transferred elsewhere.
“We do not have the beds,” Rothman says.
“Emergency health needs don’t stop for a pandemic,”
Woods explains. “Hospitals are among the safest places
to receive care. Lawnwood and St. Lucie introduced
enhanced precautions in the ER to ensure a safe environment
for all involved.”
Now, however, emergency rooms are filled not only
with broken bones and accident victims, but people who
can’t breathe from COVID-19.
Supplies are also stretched thin. Many hospitals
throughout Florida serve the entire county. Some hospitals
report having less than two days’ supply of oxygen
on hand, requiring teams to make decisions who should
and who should not receive it.
“They are tired, under-resourced and doing everything
they can to care for very, very sick patients,” Rothman
says.
VACCINATIONS URGED
At an August news conference, Cleveland Clinic physicians
stressed the need for getting vaccinated.
“It’s not because it’s our right to tell you what to do,”
Rothman says, “but because we want to see you safe. We
want to see our kids go back to school safely. We want to
see the elderly in our communities protected. We want
to be able to care for patients on both the inpatient and
outpatient sides and offer services to keep people healthy.
Right now, we are not able to do that.”
After a year and half of managing the virus, many let
their guards down. The delta variant arrived.
“The result of this perfect storm is now we’re seeing
higher rates of transmission, higher rates of hospitaliza-
CLEVELAND CLINIC PHOTOS
Prevention remains the best option for managing coronavirus, which includes
washing one’s hands or using sanitizer often, as Dr. George Mitchell does
before entering a patient’s room at Indian River Hospital.
Almost all elective surgeries have been temporarily postponed at area
hospitals, but doctors are still committed to caring for non-COVID
patients. Here, Dr. Mariano Brizzio prepares for cardiac surgery.
tions, and sicker patients,” Dr. Lysette Cardona, head of
infectious diseases for Cleveland Clinic, says.
Other significant factors may impact services further.
“What would we do in the event of a hurricane?” Rothman
asks. “What if trucks can’t reach our facilities to refill
oxygen tanks?”
Teams are prepositioning supplies and equipment even
now that would allow hospitals to continue to provide care
as they work with local and state health departments — preparing
for the worst, hoping for the best.
In August, a state-supported, free monoclonal antibody
therapy site opened at the Havert L. Fenn Center in St. Lucie
County for high-risk patients who have been diagnosed
with, or exposed to, COVID-19. Injections of antibodies into
the stomach and arms help the immune system recognize
and respond to the virus. The treatment was given emergency
use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration
in 2020.
Cardona emphasizes that prevention with the basics is still
the best option: washing one’s hands frequently, avoiding
touching the face, maintaining social distancing, wearing a
mask and getting vaccinated.
“There’s much misinformation out there on treatments
that are not recommended by healthcare organizations,” >>