FAYETTEVILLE, Ark — Birch G. Wright, Chief Operating Officer and Administrator at Washington Regional Medical Center released the following statement regarding COVID-19 in the state:
"While most regions in Arkansas have seen a decline in COVID-19 cases, Northwest Arkansas is experiencing a surge in community spread of the virus and is now leading the state in confirmed total cases of the virus, with Washington County at 1,185 cases and Benton County at 1,090 cases as of this morning. Washington Regional views this as a serious public health emergency.
Over the past month, Northwest Arkansas has witnessed a significant increase in the number of hospitalized individuals with COVID-19. On May 12, there were four COVID-19 positive patients in Northwest Arkansas hospitals. Since then, we’ve seen the number of hospitalizations double every week, and we now have more than 70 COVID-19 positive patients in area hospitals. Washington Regional is also seeing more critically ill COVID-19 patients, with over 30% of those hospitalized requiring ventilator support. As cases increase, Washington Regional has accepted transfers of positive COVID-19 patients from other hospitals in Northwest Arkansas, North Arkansas and Western Oklahoma.
It is important for our community to understand that we are not seeing more hospitalizations simply because more testing is being done. We are seeing more hospitalizations because more people in our area are being infected with the virus.
Over the past week, Washington Regional has seen a 170% increase in the number of COVID-19 tests performed at its screening clinics, a 156% increase in calls to the Washington Regional COVID-19 Hotline and a 350% increase in the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
To address the rapid spread of COVID-19 in our community, Washington Regional has made two significant operational changes this week. First, on Tuesday, June 9, we opened a second inpatient unit to care for suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients, which means we can now provide treatment for 38 COVID-19 inpatients with the ability to expand capacity as necessary. Care in these units is overseen by a dedicated team of intensivists, hospitalists and infectious disease physicians.
Second, beginning today, June 10, we have re-opened the Washington Regional Coronavirus (COVID-19) Clinic at 3318 N. North Hills Boulevard in Fayetteville to address the increased demand for screening and testing. This clinic is dedicated to COVID-19 screening and testing of individuals who do not have any symptoms but who may have had a direct exposure to someone who is COVID-19 positive. We will continue to evaluate, treat and test patients with active respiratory illness or other COVID-19 symptoms at the Washington Regional Urgent Care location in Fayetteville, located in the William L. Bradley Medical Plaza at 3 East Appleby Road.
Washington Regional wants the community to be assured that Washington Regional is prepared for this surge. Over the past several months, our team has planned and prepared for this pandemic and we have the staff, supplies and resources to effectively respond while continuing our customary health care operations. We have the capacity to safely provide care for all in our community - not just those who require hospitalization due to COVID-19.We believe it is of great importance that every member of our community hear the message that it is critically important to take the recent surge in COVID-19 cases seriously. In the early days of the pandemic we saw a tremendous outpouring of support for health care workers. Here is what the community can do to help us now – wear a mask when out in public, practice social distancing, regularly wash your hands, avoid large gatherings, and stay home when you are sick.
Washington Regional remains here for you. Please, do your part to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect our community."
Mercy released the following statement echoing the stance of Washington Regional:
"Mercy echoes and supports the statement from Washington Regional Medical Center that we are in the midst of a COVID-19 surge in Northwest Arkansas. The threat to each person’s health and to our community is real. We respectfully ask that everyone continue to show support to our health care workers on the front lines by social distancing, washing your hands, wearing masks and staying home if you’re sick. We have appreciated incredible support from the community since the beginning of the pandemic, and we want to assure everyone that we are handling the surge of cases and will be here for them whether they need care for COVID-19 or other health issues.
Even before the World Health Organization declared a pandemic in March, Mercy was working in concert with our regional health care group and within our larger Mercy organization to prepare for a possible surge in COVID-19 cases. Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas made painstaking preparations in terms of staffing, negative pressure rooms, intensive care beds, securing of PPE and ventilators. Although an increase in cases took longer to happen than we had anticipated, Mercy is well prepared and currently keeping up with the surge.
We have designated units for separation of COVID-19 patients and designated staff who work exclusively with COVID-19 patients. These steps are important to ensure we protect our physicians, nurses and other health care workers, thereby protecting our community.
As of Thursday, Mercy had 34 patients in our combined COVID-19 units. About half of those patients were requiring mechanical ventilation.
Mercy has a total of 60 beds in separate, designated units to care for COVID-19 patients. Mercy also can expand capacity by converting space on unfinished floors at Mercy Hospital.
Area health care organizations are working together very closely to share resources. There have been a few times over the past few weeks that Mercy has looked to other Northwest Arkansas hospitals to assist in caring for patients during the surge. We stay in close communication daily to ensure no organization is overly stressed.
One important consideration we aren’t often asked about are the specialized skills necessary to care for COVID-19 patients, who tend to be among the most critically ill patients in the hospital. With the recent surge in cases, Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas was able to ask for help from Mercy Hospitals in St. Louis and Joplin, which sent a group of nurses specializing in intensive care to help. We are thankful for the support and will respond in kind should other Mercy hospitals need our assistance.
