SHERIDAN — After a brief respite over the Labor Day holiday, the number of local COVID-19 cases spiked again this week with 238 active cases as of Sept. 10.
A total of 31 lab-confirmed cases were diagnosed in the last 24 hours, according to COVID-19 public information officer Jennifer Graves. The number of hospitalizations was also high with 13 hospitalized patients. Three patients were in the Intensive Care Unit on Thursday, according to hospital CEO Mike McCafferty.
The high hospitalization and case numbers can be attributed to the Delta strain of the virus, which is more transmissible than previous strains, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and could potentially be more resistant to antibody treatments and vaccination. According to the CDC, the Delta variant, which was first discovered in India, currently comprises 93% of all COVID cases nationwide.
The hospital continues to be concerned about its ability to care for patients, especially as the vast majority of area hospitals are unable to accept transfers, McCafferty said.
Currently, Salt Lake City is the only nearby city accepting transfers to its hospitals, McCafferty said. For its part, Sheridan Memorial Hospital has turned down multiple transfer requests from nearby hospitals due to its full capacity.
The ICU has 11 beds, but its total capacity is dependent on a variety of factors, McCafferty said. If staffing levels are high and the overall sickness of the patients is low, the ICU can accommodate more patients. But the capacity decreases with lower staffing levels and more serious patient needs.
McCafferty said staffing levels were steady at this point, but staffing is a fluid situation the hospital continues to evaluate “on an hourly and daily basis.”
“The nursing staff seems to be in a good mood and staying positive,” the hospital’s Chief Nursing Officer Barb Hespen said. “But we continue to keep our ear to the ground to learn how they’re doing and make sure we’re caring for the staff caring for our patients.”
Hespen said the hospital continues to fight burnout and has shifted its schedule to ensure staff receives the rest they need to maintain a proper work-life balance in the midst of a pandemic.
“It is exhausting, and it is important we take care of ourselves,” Hespen said. “We have changed the schedule in the nursing department and made sure we have enough people on schedule so that we’re not calling staff when they’re off. We’ve heard that has helped with that tiredness and having a work-life balance.”
While the hospital has not canceled elective surgeries at this time, officials decided to limit the number of elective surgeries requiring in-patient beds post-surgery, Hespen said.
Community members can support hospital staff by slowing the spread of the disease through preventative measures such as masking, washing hands and social distancing, McCafferty said. Vaccinations also continue to be recommended.
Vaccinations are currently offered at Walgreens, Walmart, Osco Pharmacy and Sheridan County Public Health. As of Sept. 7, 38.18% of county residents had been fully vaccinated, according to the Wyoming Department of Health. This is above the statewide average of 35.9%, and Sheridan County is the fourth most-vaccinated county in the state, behind Teton (73.94%), Albany (47.15%) and Hot Springs (39.29%) counties.
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September 11, 2021 at 05:00PM
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SMH managing staff stresses as COVID case load remains high - The Sheridan Press
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