DEARBORN, Mich. (WWJ) -- Additional staffing assistance is on its way to a pair of Michigan hospitals as the state continues to deal with a “fourth surge” of COVID-19.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday that Beaumont Hospital in Dearborn and Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids will each receive a team of 22 medical personnel to support their staff. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had recently requested assistance from the federal government.
The teams, made up of registered nurses, doctors and respiratory therapists are expected to arrive next week and begin treating patients immediately for 30 days.
“I’m grateful that the federal government has granted our request to provide much-needed relief to the health care personnel who have remained on the frontlines of this pandemic,” Whitmer said, per a press release.
Between Oct. 7 and Nov. 5, Michigan saw a sharp increase in positive COVID-19 cases. Of the more than 105,000 positive cases in that timeframe, 73% were unvaccinated individuals, according to MDHHS. Officials say 72% of hospitalizations and 76% of deaths were also among those who were not fully vaccinated.
Many hospital officials in metro Detroit have sounded the alarm in recent weeks as hospitals approach full capacity.
“We can all do our part to help reduce the strain on our hospital systems by getting vaccinated, making an appointment to get a booster dose, and continuing to take precautions to keep ourselves and loved ones safe,” Whitmer said.
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In addition to the federal reinforcements coming to Dearborn and Grand Rapids, MDHHS has submitted a request for federal Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals to open beds for civilian transfets.
Officials say that request resulted in the John D. Dingell Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center opening their beds for 30 days. That agreement may be extended.
MDHHS officials say they and the regional healthcare coalition will work with facilities across southeast Michigan and the VA system to identify potential patients and coordinate transfers.
Michigan has also requested and received additional allocations of “important COVID-19 therapeutics,” MDHHS said.
To help treat COVID-19 patients, the state is getting 800 additional courses of RegenCoV, a monoclonal antibody therapy which the FDA says “is proven to significantly reduce hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19.”
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