DCH: Entire Hospital System Facing 'Great Deal Of Strain'

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Coronavirus hospitalizations in Tuscaloosa remain at their highest levels since the onset of the pandemic as city leaders continue to report a depleted workforce due to new cases and exposures. As talks persisted Tuesday of what actions the city should take, Mayor Walt Maddox reiterated that further public health mandates — such as shutting down or limiting business operations — have not been requested by DCH Health System.

QUICK FACTS

• Since Dec. 5, 2020, DCH Health System has reported 24 days where the three-hospital system received 20 or more new inpatients in a day, along with seven days of 30 or more new hospitalizations.
• The Tuscaloosa Police Department is still the hardest hit division within the city, reporting 69% workforce availability.
• DCH Health System says 26 people from its 11-county service area have died in the last week across the system.

DCH on Tuesday reported a total of 176 hospitalizations — a new high — with 39 of those patients being treated in intensive care units (ICUs). For its daily total of new cases, the system reported 25 added in the last day.

Tuscaloosa County as a whole saw 127 new cases reported on the same day as the county's cumulative total nears 20,000 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. Numbers provided by city officials also show the hospital system logging 170 new coronavirus inpatients over the last week, while discharging 191.

DCH Vice President of Marketing and Communications Andy North told Patch via email Tuesday evening that the coronavirus-positive patient load at the moment is high and causing a "great deal of strain across the entire system." He also said many of those patients require critical care, causing the system's ICU numbers to increase to some of the highest it has seen since the beginning of the pandemic.

"We know the vaccine will help in the long-term but need immediate help from the community," he said. "If you need emergency care we will help you. Please do not come to the [emergency department] for a COVID-19 test if you don’t need acute care. Likewise, if your symptoms seem less severe then please consider using your primary care provider, urgent care or telemedicine."

While hospitalizations hit new highs following the Christmas and New Year's holidays, Maddox pointed out that Tuscaloosa's 947 cases confirmed over the last seven days is actually down from the previous week. However, many uncertainties persist with expected holiday surges still developing.

He did, however, say there is less concern relating to the return of students to on-campus instruction at the University of Alabama, due to the testing and monitoring measures currently in place. These mitigation efforts include the testing of all students living on campus no later than Jan. 19, in addition to the university's reported purchase of more equipment for PCR tests.

"The real spread isn’t happening in the student population," Maddox said.

Conversely, though, institutional spreading of the virus was brought up by Maddox, who claimed that 10-15% of coronavirus hospitalizations at DCH have been from a nursing home or extended care facility. Despite the situation trending in a worrisome direction, the mayor reiterated that there is no imminent plan for a shutdown of local businesses.

"The scope and depth of what the city can do is actually very limited," the mayor said. "We are not DCH and we are not the University of Alabama ... but we’ve tried to make it clear that if you need us, we’re here."

Despite expressing concern and support for other local institutions, the city of Tuscaloosa's workforce is facing its own set of challenges, as Maddox said the city is "force-depleted."

A look at the numbers provided by Maddox show the Tuscaloosa Police Department with 69% of its workforce available, while gains have been made within Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue (TFR), currently sitting at 85% availability. Vaccines are now being made available to certain city employees, with 33 TFR employees already receiving their first round of vaccinations. Another 53 TFR staffers have requested the vaccine.

More gatherings are also expected on Jan. 11 as the Alabama Crimson Tide takes on Ohio State in the College Football Playoff National Championship game. The mayor said past championship wins would often result in a large gathering on The Strip, which will not be permitted in the event of a Tide win next week. He then said the city would remain in communication with the University of Alabama to make sure all guidelines are met during and after the game.

"As much as we want to win the game ... we know that’s not safe in this environment," he said.

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