Emergency nurses arrive as hospital receives more COVID-19 patients | News, Sports, Jobs

The Maui Memorial Medical Center, pictured August 17, received 20 emergency nurses on Monday as the hospital treats a growing number of COVID-19 patients. Hospitals across the state are receiving reinforcements as they approach patient capacity due to the massive increase in COVID-19 cases. Maui News / COLLEEN UECHI photos

Maui Memorial Medical Center received 20 emergency nurses on Monday as the hospital matches its record number of 40 COVID-19 patients and a high hospital-wide patient count.

Nurses provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency come from across the country and are in Maui to assist with COVID care, spokeswoman Tracy Dallarda said. Nurses specializations include telemetry, medicine / surgery and the intensive care unit, while some are also respiratory therapists.

Nurses are fully vaccinated and, like all travel nurses, take the required COVID tests before providing care. They spend the first few days undergoing an orientation so that they have the information on how to safely care for patients in the hospital, Dallarda added.

“We are grateful for FEMA’s support and hope it can provide some relief and respite for our incredibly hardworking employees who have worked nonstop, long days and hours to care for our community.” Said in the branches.

The hospital also confirmed on Monday that in recent weeks it has been able to take care of patients from other neighboring islands as hospitals in the state fill up quickly.

A total of 40 patients were hospitalized for COVID-19 at the Maui Memorial on Monday. Of those, five were in intensive care, two were on ventilators and only seven of the 40 were vaccinated, a hospital spokesperson said.

Transfer requests are assessed on a case-by-case basis to ensure the hospital has the appropriate capacity, staff and resources, said Dallarda.

“We will always do our best to support one of our neighboring hospitals and patients, but as our census continually changes from hour to hour, we must assess each request as it arrives,” she added.

Hospital officials did not immediately have the total number of patients from the neighboring island the hospital had received or how many were currently at the Maui Memorial.

Of the 40 COVID patients in hospital at 9 a.m. on Monday, five were in intensive care, two were on a ventilator and only seven of the 40 patients are vaccinated, Dallarda said.

“Currently we have intensive care beds available, but we apply a high census”, she added.

Maui Memorial did not provide the number of occupied beds on Monday, as Dallarda said the exact number “can fluctuate by the minute” as patients are discharged and admitted.

The hospital has 219 beds but can expand to nearly 300 if necessary.

“The census is of the order of 90% for normal operations”, Dallarda said, noting that the hospital did not yet need to open additional beds.

* Melissa Tanji can be contacted at [email protected].