Bryan “Maxed Out” With Patient Load

Lincoln, NE (September 16, 2021)  Bryan Hospital Officials issued an urgent plea to the public to do all possible to avoid going to the hospital.

“We are maxed out as a health care system” said Bryan Spokesman Bob Ravenscroft.  “We are at a physical capacity.”

Ravenscroft said the constantly growing number of Covid-19 patients on top of those needing regular non-covid health care has filled the Hospital to capacity.

“When we’re between 520, 530, maybe 540 patients, that’s what our system is built for.  Today we are at 553, and have been above that threshold more days than not for the past month.”

Bryan Medical Director Dr. Jim Nora echoed the report.

“We are definitely at capacity.  We are really beyond what the comfortable capacity is and have been for several weeks now.”

Nora called on the Public to help cut down the load.  His first suggestion was to take all steps possible to avoid Covid-19 by getting vaccinated.  He said other steps, such as getting a flu shot, and avoiding mosquito bites that could lead to West Nile Virus, are also important.

He warned that no one wants to take the next step “where we have to make decisions that nobody wants to make about triaging health care resources, who doesn’t get treated, who does get treated.  Those are things we don’t want to have to do.”

Ravenscroft reminded reporters that Bryan has already eliminated all elective procedures, and those requiring a hospital stay that can be postponed without adversely affecting the patient’s health.

Bryan is also now offering Monoclonal Antibody treatment, an IV infusion intended for unvaccinated people who test positive for Covid-19.  The treatment will not cure the virus, but will help limit its severity and is intended to keep the patient out of the hospital and recovering at home.

“Whatever we can do to prevent hospitalization” said Dr. Nora “and especially to prevent serious illness we definitely want to do that.”

The treatment is administered in a medical facility and must be by referral of a doctor.  It is particularly intended for senior citizens, anyone with underlying medical conditions such as obesity, and anyone pregnant.

“If you feel you need this treatment, if you’re not feeling good at all and you have a positive test, it’s important to see your doctor as soon as possible.”  He added, however, that many people are going to the hospital’s emergency room requesting a Covid-19 test.  A better plan, he said, would be to get tested at a facility that is offering testing.

“We will try and accommodate people in those situations, but wish they would be tested elsewhere so that they don’t take the time of our staff members who are giving emergency care to patients” he said.