Faxton-St. Luke's Healthcare in Utica, N.Y., is treating fewer COVID-19 patients but continues to operate in crisis mode because of staffing shortages, The Wall Street Journal reported March 9.
Hospital officials told the newspaper shortages have led to longer emergency department wait times, fewer staffed beds and patients needing to be transferred hours away for treatments that were once offered on-site. And the hospital's nursing home is relying on help from the National Guard to stay open.
Darlene Stromstad, CEO of Mohawk Valley Health System, which includes Faxton-St. Luke's, told the paper that about 20 percent of the hospital's nursing staff are travelers because it can't find enough people willing to accept full-time positions. Hiring travelers only adds to the hospital's financial strain, she said.
While the hospital is licensed for 258 beds, the number of staffed beds fell to 155 on March 7, according to state data cited by the Journal. The staffing shortage may lead to even more beds being taken out of service, Ms. Stromstad said. The hospital also is considering limiting the number of transfer patients it accepts, and it may stoon stop offering 24-hour dialysis.
"We have to put the patient somewhere, so we just keep getting more travelers," Ms. Stromsad said. "I don’t want to discredit the travelers, but they don’t have ownership. They come and they go. They’re not reliable."
After Thanksgiving, St. Luke's asked the state for permission to divert ambulances to other facilities because its ER was so short-staffed. The hospital was told to use paramedics in place of nurses. Paramedics in the ER then started IV lines and drew patients' blood.
"We had no other choice," said Avinash Kambhampati, DO, head physician in the ER. "Otherwise, I would not be able to see a single person that afternoon into that evening," he told the Journal, adding that he expects this temporary fix to occur more regularly.
Mohawk Valley Health System is giving employees who cover extra shifts bonuses and has created a pantry with free groceries and toiletries for employees to take home in an effort to retain them.