Hospital system overwhelmed

[Angrboda]

Recently read a story about a US hospital that had to turn away a cancer patient in need of emergency treatment, due to COVID patients taking up all of the available beds.

And I think making the distinction between ‘a bed’ and a ‘staffed bed’ is kind of pointless, in that it’s readily apparent that they’re the same thing - a hospital could have 1000 beds stored in the basement and still not be able to accept incoming patients.

Boru

The point is that you can usually add staff. You can't add more rooms for beds. We're not talking about the physical bed here.

Representatives from hospital associations said it isn’t unusual for hospitals to operate close to their maximum capacity. This is because hospitals are continually adjusting their capacity based on demand.

"They may have some rooms on a floor or in a specific unit that are physically there, but since they aren’t staffed, they aren’t available for patient use," said Marc Lotter, a spokesperson for the Florida Hospital Association. "Should the need rise, hospitals will staff those beds and make them available."

Hospitals are careful to maintain enough capacity for unexpected circumstances and emergencies, Lotter said, but to contain costs, they do not keep rooms staffed or available if they aren’t in use or likely to be needed.

(link)