'Cautiously optimistic': Local hospital shares plans for possible surge

Health experts share that they’re ready and prepared for anything, especially as an unexpected winter is close by.

However, flu season could bring an even greater challenge.

Well.

As we've shared,*12 lane county residents are currently in the hospital with covid-19.

But with the holidays right around the corner, as well as flu season... how are local hospitals preparing for any sudden surge?

Kezi 9 news reporter kennedy dendy spoke to experts to find out.

Kennedy?

Chynna, health experts say they're ready and prepared for anything, especially as an unexpected winter is close by.

And yes, with the holidays, comes more gatherings that could lead to even more cases than we already have.

So i'm told we can't get*too comfortable.

And here's why.

The oregon health authority warned the state on*friday that hospital beds in oregon could reach*capacity by mid-december!

Let's face it...covid-19 is not the only fear right now, as flu season also comes down*hard.

Which is why i spoke with peacehealth's covid-19 incident commander today to find out what type of plan is in place if this were to happen.

Dr. jim mcgovern says that the hospital is, i quote, "cautiously optimistic."

He says they began planning early on of ways to free up space if needed.

One way is that the hospital's medical-surgical unit has the ability to grow from three patients to up to 36.

"we use the hospital beds in different ways when we have to obviously if we had, you know, 30 patients with covid here that are not our usual, even in a busy winter, we would have to do other things beyond just what we normally do."

That could also mean opening up the mom-baby unit, when that's not being used.

But he says i-c-u is a bit trickier, becaused beds are very limited.

The highest number they've had there is 8 patients but they have the ability to expand to 12.

They'll also be taking a look at who*really needs to come into the hospital and using university district if needed.

As of today, there are*12 covid-19 patients are in peacehealth's riverbend hospital.

Coming up in the 5 o'clock hour, with back-to-back holidays right around the corner find out how those in our county are preparing.

Live in eugene kennedy