The challenges are acute at smaller hospitals that are the only option for the communities they serve. The surge of coronavirus cases creates a cascading effect on these small communities, extending beyond hospital walls.
Emanuel CEO Scott thought his hospital reached its limits in August, when coronavirus spread through nursing homes in neighboring counties and caring for patients “felt like trying to scoop up water with your hands,” he said.
Circumstances are even more challenging now. While the summer peak came from nursing homes, the current peak is because the virus is widely circulating. The hospital’s 6 ICU and 18 general medical beds are full. And with a surge of post-holiday cases, more people will need care in coming days as they develop complications.
Health data show Emanuel County’s rates of obesity, smoking and physical inactivity all rank worse than state averages. Life expectancy in Emanuel County ranks 155 out of 159 counties in Georgia, according to Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s county health rankings.
Critical-care doctors at Augusta University have trained and coordinate with Emanuel's doctors to provide remote telemedicine for patients. And the state of Georgia sent nurses to the hospital to lessen a staffing crunch.
Emanuel has installed negative-pressure and installed ionizing units in the ductwork to combat airborne spread of the virus in the hospital and nursing home. It plans to open an outpatient clinic to administer the monoclonal antibody bamlanivimab to as many eligible patients as possible. The goal is to help people recover and save beds for critically ill patients until vaccines are widely administered.
Beyond the crowd of hospital patients, Emanuel County Coroner Jeffrey Peebles has another worry – a potential shortage of morgue space.
His office has purchased a refrigerated morgue with space for up to 10 bodies that will be placed inside the hospital when it arrives.
Arrangements have been delayed when relatives of people who died from COVID-19 must isolate because they have the virus. Spouses and other family members can’t make arrangements from a loved one until they clear the virus, too.
So far, between the county’s funeral homes, there has been no shortage of capacity. Peebles said he hopes the new morgue unit arrives in time so they don’t run out of space.
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