CARMICHAEL, Calif. — Mercy San Juan Medical Center is adding additional surge beds to keep up with a high volume of patients.
"You don't want to come to our emergency room or in our hospital because we're just too busy," said Michael Korpiel, president of Mercy San Juan Medical Center.
The hospital is at capacity right now according to Korpiel. The Dignity Health owned facility is one of three hospitals within the system that has been deemed a surge hospital by the state of California. Crews have started assembling two tents outside the emergency department that will hold ten additional overflow beds for less severe ER patients.
"In fact, our staff in addition to the tent here, have begun to work on setting up areas of the hospital that we don't traditionally use for patient care areas," said Korpiel.
He says 20 beds will also be added inside to keep up with high demand in inpatient units.
"About 75% of the people with COVID who are admitted to our hospital have not been vaccinated," said Korpiel.
Health officials are asking members of the public to avoid going to the emergency room unless it's necessary, and are also urging people to not show up just to get a COVID-19 test.
"We encourage them to get a test out in the community where they can," said Korpiel. "They come here, it really creates another barrier for throughput for our patients that really need the care here."
In a health briefing on Thursday, Dr. Olivia Kasirye with Sacramento County Public Health said despite a plateau in Omicron COVID-19 cases in the Sacramento area, hospitals will remain busy.
"From what the state has told us from their projections, the hospitalizations will continue to go up," said Kasirye.
Health experts say hospitalizations typically lag two weeks behind the new cases that are being reported.
"We anticipate that over the next two weeks we may need this (extra beds)," said Korpiel. "I hope we don't, but we want to be prepared — our mission is to take care of our community and be ready for that community need."
