COVID Unit Coming To Decatur-Morgan Hospital

Health officials in Morgan County announced new plans for a coronavirus unit at Decatur-Morgan Hospital's parkway campus.

Health officials in morgan county announced new plans for a coronavirus unit at decatur morgan hospital's parkway campus.

Waay 31's grace campbell learned why officials say the unit is needed.

She has more on the impact it will have on all campuses in the hospital system.

Adding a covid-19 unit here at the parkway campus will open up in- patent beds at some of the other campuses for non- coronavirus patients.

The president of decatur morgan hospitals said this new unit will make the entire system run more smoothly.

Pkg: kelli power, president of decatur morgan hospital: "we decided to open a covid unit and use some of the unused beds that we have to help alleviate stress off of decatur morgan so that we can continue to do electives and then also to help with the stress of the system as well."

Most of the hospitals in the decatur morgan system have a specific coronavirus unit.

Powers said once the 15 beds at the parkway campus open, other hospitals will be able to transfer their coronavirus patients to parkway.

"we have two units right now at the main campus that are covid patients, so we'll go down to one, hopefully if we can, and put the patients in parkway and then we will build up to 36 so we can take patients from athens, hellen keller if needed or huntsville madison hospitals so they don't have to stop elective as well."

The new covid-19 unit will be for patients not needing intensive care.

Those patients will go to the decatur campus.

This allows more patients to receive non-coronavirus care.

"what we're hoping to do is make sure we have capacity, so we do not have to stop elective surgeries again at the main campus or at some other campuses in the system."

Look live not shot to keep the november 1st deadline, the decatur morgan hospital needs to hire a new staff for the parkway campus covid-19 unit.

In decatur, grace campbell, waay 31 news.

In addition to the new covid-19 unit at the parkway campus, power says they hope to build a specific coronavirus intensive care