BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY, Ind. — A Bartholomew County hospital is sounding the alarm about a predicted coronavirus surge on top of the one already hitting hospitals across the state.
This comes as Indiana hits another grim milestone. More than 6,100 Hoosiers have died, including 124 new deaths reported Tuesday. The state reported more than 5,400 newly confirmed cases in Hoosiers Tuesday. There are 3,200 COVID-19 patients in hospitals around the state.
While the community prepares to celebrate Christmas, Columbus Regional Health opened a second COVID ward to treat the growing number of patients. According to hospital CEO Jim Bickel, there is plenty of room and beds.
"The issue is having enough bed side nursing and other professional staff to take care of the patient load," Bickel said. He went on to explain that scores of nurses and other employees have the virus or are quarantined because they were exposed or are showing symptoms.
Some health care workers still working on the front lines shared their experience in a hospital video online.
"My experience working with COVID-19 patients has been scary and relentless," respiratory therapist Brook Hinton said.
"It wears you out mentally, constantly," LPN Leanna Wiseman said. "It's constantly there."
Dr. Slade Crowder is the hospital's associate chief medical officer. "The vaccine is the bright spot," he said, sounding upbeat.
The hospital is responsible for vaccinating health care workers across Bartholomew, Jackson, Jennings, and Decatur counties.
A former storage building will serve as a clinic. With no nurses to spare, shots will be given by pharmacists, medical assistants, paramedics and nursing students.
This will be happening as the hospital prepares for another surge of COVID victims hitting on top of the existing surge of patients, around mid-January.
Crowder has seen the predictions.
"It gets to numbers that are very challenging to maintain our high standard of care with the staffing we have," Crowder said.
According to Bickel, an additional surge of patients may cause the hospital to defer elective and non-emergency surgeries as well as other procedures.
Nurses working in the COVID ward have a warning for families insisting on going ahead with big Christmas celebrations.
"When people say like, 'it could be the last holiday.' It could be the last time I see them, I say to them, 'How would you feel if you gave that person COVID and it was the last holiday because you gave them the virus?'" nurse Lindsey Hayes said.
Not holding closely the ones we love the most, might be this year’s best Christmas present.