McIlmoil

LA GRANDE — Beds and staff. Those are the two things hospitals are short on during the pandemic.

Grande Ronde Hospital is no different.

Hospital staff addressed those concerns during a virtual public forum on Wednesday, Aug. 18. Doctors, hospital staff and public officials outlined the current status of the hospital and how it plans to navigate through the recent rise in COVID-19 cases.

“We must band together against this unrelenting pandemic and the variants we’re facing if we want to reclaim the way of life that we enjoy in Eastern Oregon,” Grande Ronde Hospital President and Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Davis said.

Davis spoke at the virtual meeting alongside several doctors from the hospital as well as La Grande Mayor Steve Clements, Center for Human Development Public Health Administrator Carrie Brogoitti, La Grande School District Superintendent George Mendoza and Union County Commissioner Matt Scarfo.

Davis emphasized the increasing statewide COVID-19 numbers in August and noted staff fatigue and shortages are weighing heavily on the hospital. According to Davis, there were only two available ICU beds in Eastern Oregon at one point earlier this month. To his knowledge, there are currently none available in Eastern Oregon.

As of Aug. 18, Union County had recorded 328 COVID-19 cases, setting a record high for monthly cases, and the county’s seven-day average for positive tests was just over 20 per day.

Davis also stated approximately 10% of ICU beds in Oregon are currently available for new patients. The ICU at Grande Ronde Hospital has six beds, operating with a maximum of three to four COVID-19 patients at once.

Grande Ronde Hospital has 25 total beds, but that number can be increased in the case of a mass influx of patients. On Aug. 19, five beds remained empty at the hospital, but that number fluctuates daily. In the case of a large increase of patients, alternative care sites in the area can be utilized to create extra space. Grande Ronde Hospital is not currently utilizing the GRH Pavilion for additional space.

Davis said staffing issues are more pertinent right now. From overall fatigue due to the pandemic to the large amount of labor and equipment required to work in the ICU, the staff has been pushed to new limits by COVID-19.

“We’re struggling because of a staffing issue, but there are beds available,” he said.

Nationwide issue

The hospital capacity stretches across the region and the entire country.

GRH would typically transfer patients to medical facilities in Boise, Walla Walla or the Tri-Cities, but many of the larger hospitals are currently unable to take patients. Davis mentioned an instance of speaking with another hospital in Eastern Oregon in which a patient was transferred to Montana and another instance of a patient who required more than 40 phone calls to find a bed for.

“It’s hard to transfer patients, and it’s hard to get them admitted to our hospital because we’re low on beds at times,” said Dr. Stephen McIlmoil, an emergency medicine doctor at Grande Ronde Hospital.

McIlmoil noted that the emergency room at the hospital is packed with patients beyond just those dealing with COVID-19.

The hospital staff reported there has been a 200% increase in emergency room visits in Eastern Oregon during the recent COVID-19 surge. Others from the hospital who spoke, including Dr. Zach Spoehr-Labutta, a pediatric doctor, emphasized the concern.

“This is the first point in the pandemic that I am legitimately afraid for my patients,” he said.

In addition to hospitals exhausting resources, nursing homes are feeling the impacts of hospitals reaching capacity.

According to a spokesperson at the Grande Ronde Retirement Residence, in La Grande, finding room for patients has been more difficult in the last two months than it ever has been.

Davis emphasized the strain in staffing is being felt across the state, which has resulted in the National Guard assisting and providing support functions at several hospitals, including St. Charles Bend. Grande Ronde Hospital has 160 cots from the National Guard that it can use in the event of a mass influx of patients, but the National Guard itself is not currently being used in La Grande.

Local authorities

Scarfo added his thoughts during the meeting, suggesting that the county is working with the Oregon Health Authority to conduct mass offsite testing in the coming weeks in order to relieve pressure on hospital staff.

Mendoza emphasized the La Grande School District’s risk mitigation measures heading into the school year.

Mendoza added that a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in the district has made operations difficult, but he is hopeful that protocols will create a productive in-person school year.

Clements added his recommendation for mask usage, and cautioned residents about the repercussions that can come from large gatherings.

“We’re in this together,” Clements said. “If there was a forest fire that was blowing in our direction, this community would pull together in a heartbeat. I wish that was the case now.”

[EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been changed to reflect a correction. The article previously stated that “Davis mentioned an instance of a patient being transferred to Montana and a patient who required more than 40 phone calls to find a bed for.” The article previously implied that the patient was at Grande Ronde Hospital, when the patient was actually at another hospital in Eastern Oregon.