Dr. David Callender, CEO of Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, informed CNBC on Friday that its healthcare facilities continue to have sufficient capability regardless of Texas’ growing coronavirus break out.
“We actually still think we have plenty of capacity to meet the demand for Covid, as well as non-Covid patients” Callender stated on “The Exchange.” “We’re always busy in the summertime, and what we’re seeing now is a typical summer for us.”
Callender, whose not-for-profit health system has 17 healthcare facilities in the Houston location, worried that the medical network’s capability is “constantly in flux” and requiring to be handled. “But right now, we’re able to do that very well,” he stated.
Callender’s remarks came quickly after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott rolled back part of the state’s resuming strategies, following a rise in Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations in current weeks. Bars in the state needed to close for on-premise drinking by midday Friday. Starting Monday, dining establishments might not go beyond 50% dine-in capability.
And on Friday, Lina Hidalgo, president of Harris County, where Houston lies, provided a “stay-at-home” advisory and raised the county to the greatest danger level for Covid-19.
As of Friday afternoon, Harris County had 27,017 validated cases of the coronavirus, 17,350 of which were active, according to the county health department. The Texas Department of State Health Services approximates the state, in general, has about 55,000 active cases of Covid-19.
On Thursday, Abbott likewise briefly held off optional medical treatments in some Texas counties to protect health center capability, consisting of Harris, Dallas and Travis, which is house to the city of Austin. Bexar, where San Antonio lies, likewise was consisted of in Abbott’s order.
Memorial Hermann Hospital system is seen on the night on Sunday, May 3, 2020, in Houston.
Matt Patterson | AP
Callender, in describing his self-confidence about health center capability, stated the system is “used to dealing with complex patients” and thinks it will have the ability to get used to increased need.
“Across our system, we have about 4,000 beds that we can bring into play” for extensive care, he stated. “Right now, only about 30% are being utilized for Covid care, so we still have plenty of capacity for Covid patients as well as patients who need hospitalization for other illnesses.”
Doctors and nurses likewise have actually discovered how to much better reward Covid-19 clients after 3 months of its existence, stated Callender, who signed up with Memorial Hermann in 2019.
“We’re seeing a slightly lower rate in terms of the number of typical hospital bed patients who convert to a need for ICU hospitalization. We’re also using ventilators less frequently,” he stated. “We have more drugs at our disposable that we know help limit the severity and duration of the illness. So overall we’re faring better than we did just a couple months ago.”
But eventually, Callender worried the value of Texans following public health procedures to avoid ending up being contaminated with Covid-19.
“We need people to wear masks. We know they’re effective. We’ve stopped the transmission of Covid-19 in our hospitals by wearing masks, maintaining appropriate social distancing, washing our hands and keeping sick employees at home,” he stated.
“If we do that,” he included, “we know we can severely limit the spread of this disease.”
