WATERTOWN â North country hospitals saw a small increase in average hospital occupancy last week as concerns mount over a possible influx of COVID-19 patients overwhelming the regionâs medical infrastructure.
The seven-day average combined inpatient occupancy rate for north country hospitals rose from 55.5% to 59.1% between the weeks beginning Nov. 27 and Dec. 4, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This represents an increase of 3.6 percentage points over that period.
But if the hospitalization increase were to continue at its current pace for three weeks, it would still be well below the stateâs red zone threshold.
1 of 2
PHOTO PROVIDEDNursing Director Carly Haag (right) administers the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to Dr. William Bruce Bunn, medical director of the University of Vermont Health Network, Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital Intensive Care Unit, at the Plattsburgh hospital Tuesday.
PHOTO PROVIDEDNursing Director Carly Haag (right) administers the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to Karen OâConnor, 72, of Chazy, a nurse in the University of Vermont Health Network, Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital Intensive Care Unit, at the Plattsburgh hospital Tuesday.
PLATTSBURGH â Longtime nurse Karen OâConnor, 72, of Chazy is the first person to receive Pfizer/BioNTechâs COVID-19 vaccine in the tri-county area.
Hospitals need to enter crisis mode, governor said As coronavirus cases continue to rise, âhospitals have to shift to crisis management mode,â Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday. (Source: WWNY) By 7 News Staff | December 16, 2020 at 1:23 PM EST - Updated December 16 at 1:23 PM
ALBANY, N.Y. (WWNY) - As coronavirus cases continue to rise, âhospitals have to shift to crisis management mode.â
Thatâs from Gov. Andrew Cuomo during a news conference via Zoom from Albany on Wednesday.
He said crisis management âis a different state of mind for hospitals.â
Cuomo said normally, hospital systems and individual hospitals donât interact with each other.
LOWVILLE â In anticipation of a shipment of hundreds of COVID-19 vaccines next week, the Lewis County Health System is making the plans necessary to be ready for the rollout in a very âfluidâ situation.
Chief Executive Officer Gerald R. Cayer announced last week during a news conference they would be receiving Moderna vaccines, which are anticipated to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday.
The health system does not have freezers that can reach the ultra-cold temperature required for storage of the Pfizer vaccines, which have started to be administered this week.
But on Monday, Mr. Cayer was informed along with other north country hospitals that 169 Pfizer vaccines would be made available for his teamâs âhigh priorityâ frontline and high-risk workers providing they went to the regional âhubâ hospital in Plattsburgh â Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital â to be vaccinated.
WATERTOWN â As frontline health care workers, Samaritan Medical Center employees will be among the first to receive Pfizerâs COVID-19 vaccine, but theyâll have to travel roughly 150 miles across the state to get it.
Samaritan employees were notified Monday night about their options for receiving the coronavirus vaccine, and thereâs a catch.
While the Washington Street facility has not yet received vaccines, hospital officials were told that Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital in Plattsburgh would be a regional âhubâ for the vaccines in the north country, and that the hospital has 350 vaccine doses reserved for Samaritan staff members, should they wish to receive them, according to Leslie M. DiStefano, Samaritanâs director of communication and public relations.