Monica Harkins shows us how staff at UK Hospital are preparing for the post-holiday coronavirus surge.
Families prepare for thanksgiving....hosp itals in lexington are preparing for a flood of new coronavirus patients.
To make room...uk healthcare says it's going to close some operating rooms. abc 36's monica harkins talks with the kentucky nursing association...which warns it's not the number of beds available you should be worried about.
### nurses usually help you.
Now, it's the other way around.
Delanor: "nurses are asking the public for help."
Help slowing the spread..because as ceo of the kentucky nursing association delanor manson says...its not the amount of beds that's going to be a problem in a surge, it's staffing.
Delanor:" they have the plan now.
But the real issue is, there aren't enough staff to staff those beds when they expand."
Uk says it does have a plan and is more prepared than in the spring....tuesday it announced it's ready to start transitioning five operating rooms in its chandler hospital to rooms for people positive with covid.
Other differences from the spring...this time elective procedures will continue and there won't be any employees furloughed.
"starla: i'm used to seeing doctor's faces."
Starla snow isn't at the hospital for coronavirus...but she says she understands why the hospital is closing o-r's.
Starla: "i've come to realize that covid's gonna keep coming and there's nothing that we can do to stop it, so evolving around is all we can do."
It's that kind of understanding doctor of nursing... jitana benton-lee with northern kentucky university says is key.
Jitana benton-lee"they get inundated with information from a lot of different sources but having that one on one conversation with someone who knows is helpful."
Delanor: " and it doesn't cost you anything to put on a mask.
It doesn't cost you anything to social distance, it costs you nothing to wash your hands.
But it might cost someone their life.
If you don't."
In lexington, monica harkins, abc 36 news.
### ots image:left inmates positive jail 1.jpg
Monica Harkins takes us to UK Healthcare, where operating rooms are being shut down to prepare for a flood of new coronavirus..
