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Mount Nittany Medical Center continues to feel the rippling effects of the
surge of COVID-19 transmission in the region and the sharply increasing demand
for services. Leadership are meeting multiple times a day and making real time
operational adjustments to meet demand coming into the emergency department,
while also maintaining a high quality level of care for patients.
Today, the Medical Center is caring for 65 COVID patients ranging in age
from 21 to 95. The average number of daily patients in December is 57 and the
total number of patients in December is 87. This daily average is the highest
it has been throughout the entire pandemic, and overall patient volumes are at
record levels.
“Mount Nittany Medical Center continues to make operational adjustments
across the health system to meet the demand for care as a result of the ongoing
community transmission of COVID-19,” said Upendra Thaker, MD, chief medical
officer, Mount Nittany Medical Center. “We are reallocating staff and facility
resources so we can care for our community members without sacrificing quality
of care. These procedural plans are helping to ease some of the strain we felt
as recently as a week ago, but intensive care physicians and staff are
experiencing no relief. We will continue to make operational adjustments as
needed to provide quality care.”
Community members seeking care at the emergency department can continue to
expect considerably longer wait times than normal, sometimes hours. Many
individuals in the waiting area have COVID-19 and area residents needing
emergency room care are encouraged to consider using Mount
Nittany Medical Center’s Virtual ER to reduce time spent in the waiting
area.
Mount Nittany Medical Center is taking additional measures to ease pressure
and protect the safety of patients, including postponing all elective surgeries
requiring at least one overnight inpatient stay through at least December 20.
Beginning Saturday, December 11, the visitation policy also will change to
one designated visitor per patient, per day, between the visiting hours of 2:00
– 6:00 pm daily. The complete visitation guidelines are on the patient
information page of mountnittany.org.
“Our region’s health systems are being severely impacted by the surge of
COVID-19 as a result of the transmission that is happening in our communities,”
Thaker said. “We want everyone to know this kind of pressure on healthcare
services severely impacts access to much needed medical services. This
situation will not begin to improve until community transmission of the virus
falls. We are doing everything we can do. We continue to ask that everyone who
is eligible get vaccinated, avoid large indoor gatherings, social distance and
hand wash.”
Dr. Tiffany Cabibbo, executive vice president, patient care services and
chief nursing officer, Mount Nittany Health says the Medical Center staff is
working tirelessly to care for community members. “I applaud our staff for
their hard work during this difficult time and for their commitment to
providing the best care possible for our patients. Their efforts are heroic. We
ask for continued support from the community as we continue to meet these
unprecedented challenges.”
Please visit our website to register for a Pfizer BioNTech
vaccine or booster dose. Importantly, if you are experiencing COVID-19
symptoms, or believe you have been exposed to someone who is COVID positive,
then please isolate yourself from others and seek testing. Visit our patient
information page to learn more.
