Connecticut Hospital Capacity Details Released

CONNECTICUT — The number of hospital beds filled statewide with coronavirus patients has been a bellwether for Connecticut's management of the pandemic since the first hospital admission last March. Following a harrowing uptick of hospitalizations in November as the second wave of the virus swept through the state, the number of COVID-19 beds has begun to trend slightly downward.

The decline has not been dramatic or in any way comparable to the fall-off seen last April and May, but it's one positive trend during a month when the state has seen skyrocketing coronavirus infection rates and case numbers, so we'll take it.

From the state's most recent data drop on Friday, coronavirus hospitalizations saw another decline with 20 fewer patients compared to Thursday's numbers.

The US Department of Health and Human Services has been tracking hospital bed and intensive care unit capacity nationwide and making that information publicly available since July. Here are the winners and also-rans among Connecticut's short term, acute care hospitals.

At the top of the list, St. Mary's Hospital in Waterbury had the highest percentage of total hospital beds in use, with 92 percent of its beds occupied, and 55 percent of its ICUs claimed.

On the other end of the scale, Sharon Hospital, at 56 percent occupied beds in the week ending Jan. 14, had the lowest percentage. In its ICU, 62 percent of the beds were occupied.

ICU beds were near to capacity at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford, however, with 95 percent in use during the past week. Lawrence & Memorial Hospital in New London, Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam, Manchester Memorial Hospital all saw their ICUs at 91 percent capacity during the same period.

Statewide, the federal data shows 81 percent of the hospital beds in the state were filled last week, and 61 percent of the intensive care units were occupied.

The hospital population includes all hospitals registered with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as of June 1. It includes non-CMS hospitals that have reported since July 15. It does not include psychiatric, rehabilitation, Indian Health Service facilities, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs facilities, Defense Health Agency facilities, and religious non-medical facilities.