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University of Utah Hospital overcapacity as the ‘unsustainable’ coronavirus outbreak continues

University of Utah Health
Posted at 7:58 PM, Oct 16, 2020
and last updated 2020-10-16 21:58:07-04

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah shattered its previous record for coronavirus hospitalizations Friday and one of the state’s largest hospitals said it was forced to set up extra beds because the intensive care unit was full, The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

University of Utah Hospital was bringing in doctors and nurses for overtime shifts Friday to staff new beds after its ICU reached “more than 100% capacity,” said hospital spokeswoman Suzanne Winchester.

The hospital in March set up a regular unit to have the monitoring capability of an ICU, said Dr. Russell Vinik, chief medical operations officer.

But “we don’t have staffing for that ICU," he said. "That is made by doctors, nurses, therapists working extra shifts and extra time.”

“The actions we take in the days ahead will determine whether or not our systems are able to handle our healthcare needs,” Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said in a tweet. “We have to do everything we can.”

Click here to read the full story from The Salt Lake Tribune.