UPDATE: St. Claire Healthcare converts unit into COVID surge ICU

MOREHEAD, Ky. (UPDATE) – Covid case numbers are surging in many northeast kentucky counties it serves, and the staff at St. Claire Healthcare says is taking no chances .
The hospital already has about 20 Covid patients .

To prepare to handle growing numbers, the staff has turned the post anesthesia care unit into a surge Covid ICU to handle more patients they fear are coming. Doctor William Melahn is advising people to reconsider getting vaccinated.

“Mutation variants are expected when you have a population that is not immune it actually put a lot of pressure on that virus to mutate to get more effective so it continues to infect people,” says Melahn.

The hospital is reminding people to practice the three layers of defense masking up, social distancing and vaccination.

ORIGINAL: AUGUST 16TH 9:49 AM

MOREHEAD, Ky. (WTVQ/Press Release) – Clinical leaders at St. Claire HealthCare have been closely monitoring the trend in COVID hospitalizations both locally and across the nation.

While hopeful the spikes experienced in communities across the country wouldn’t hit St. Claire, the COVID task force was working behind the scenes to be sure the health system was prepared to handle a possible spike in COVID-positive patients.

“Not only are we seeing the number of patients requiring hospitalization surge, these patients are requiring more intense care,” said Dr. Will Melahn, St. Claire HealthCare’s Chief Medical Officer and Vice President for Medical Affairs. “We have reached a point where our existing COVID units are overwhelmed requiring us to implement elements of our COVID surge plan.”

On Sunday, August 15, St. Claire Regional Medical Center’s post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) was converted to a Surge COVID ICU.

A portion of the COVID-positive patients currently admitted to ICU were transferred to the surge unit to make space for incoming COVID-positive admissions.

All other St. Claire HealthCare clinics and ancillary services will continue to operate as usual at this time.

The leadership at St. Claire anticipates the number of COVID admissions will continue to rise before the situation improves as the Delta variant continues to spread quickly throughout the region.

Those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and are at a high risk of complications are urged to contact their primary care physician as soon as possible. Treatments may be available to help recover faster and avoid hospitalization.

St. Claire HealthCare urges everyone to take precautions to protect themselves against COVID-19.

Common sense practices like proper hand hygiene and social distancing reducethe risk of contracting the virus, but the best line of defense from serious complications from COVID is the vaccine.

Schedule an appointment age 12 or older to receive the COVID-19 vaccination at St. Claire HealthCare, by calling 606.783.7539.

“Almost all of our current COVID hospitalizations are unvaccinated patients. Many of these hospitalizations likely could have been avoided if the patients had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19,” Dr. Melahn said. “I cannot express to you how crucial it is for you, your families, and your friends to get vaccinated if you haven’t already.”