Local health officials weigh in on hospital capacity, preparing for a surge

RiverBend is not overwhelmed. But officials say that could change

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With hospitalizations on the rise -- we wanted to know how our local hospitals are handling the surge.

Kezi nine news reporter connor mccarthy joins us live from the riverbend hospital in springfield with a break down of what's to come.

Connor?

Jillian-- officials here at peacehealth say they're staff are starting to feel fatigue from treating dozens of covid-19 patients all at once.

Most of the hospitalizations in lane county are being housed here at riverbend -- and ever since labor day -- the work has been non stop.

James mcgovern--vice president for medical affairs-- says when it comes to i-c-u capacity, the hospital is actually near normal for this time of year -- which may be surprising to some.

But what makes this year*different is that patients are being treated for*one disease -- that we're all learning more about as time goes on.

Mcgovern says hospital rates can change daily--and riverbend could see a surge like a hospital in salem thats treting upwards of 70 patients he also says -- the spike we're seeing now compared to what we had nine months ago -- is a 180.

That's because the state is started to become overwhelmed at several hospitals*not in our area -- which is something oregon hasn't had to deal with yet.

With 30 plus patients in the hospital at any given time and looking at the epidemology curves and just seeing them rise steeply, what new york went through in the begining it seems so much more real in this point in time then all summer.

Mcgovern says the one thing that keeps him up at night is the threat of peacehealth hospitals suddenly becoming overwhelmed.

But he says he's confident doctors and nurses can handle a surge, jillian-- what make this catastrophe different than others-- is that it's playing out behind closed doors -- and out of the public eye.

Which makes it hard to really feel the effects this pandemic is having on our health care system -- and providers who have been working tirelessly to fight the virus.

To help--officials say just follow all health guidelines live in