At Neshoba County General Hospital, there are several hospital beds that remain empty, but there are not enough healthcare workers to care for many additional patients. Two weeks ago, the Neshoba County Fair attracted thousands of Mississippians from across the state, many of whom were not vaccinated and did not wear masks. Lee McCall, CEO at Neshoba General, says the county is setting record coronavirus transmission rates for the nation. And He says these staffing shortages are affecting almost every department at the hospital.
“Not to mention all the other things that we’re also trying to do to offset the high demand," says McCall. "We’ve opened up a drive-thru testing line. That takes critical resources away from other areas, but it’s important to do so. This last week-and-a-half with the uptick in cases, we’ve been averaging 30 plus COVID-19 antibody infusions per day.”
The hospital is in such high demand for personnel, executive staff has been working on the front lines to help conduct coronavirus testing.
Hospitals in Mississippi that can provide intensive care are limited in how they can transfer patients to other facilities. Neshoba General can perform some emergency operations, however, they are unable to care for coronavirus patients with the most severe symptoms. McCall says the system of care program can make outward transfers easier, but the receiving hospital may not always have another bed ready.
“We can only handle so much here," says McCall. "At some point, a patient may need a higher level of care and we are really struggling at getting patients to that higher level of care just because of sheer numbers of COVID-19 across our state and the hospitalizations.”
Two emergency field hospitals on the campus of the University of Mississippi Medical Center will assist with the state’s growing number of coronavirus patients needing acute medical care.
