As Coronavirus Spreads, NH Hospital Capacity Shrinks, Too: Study

CONCORD, NH — While only about 256 coronavirus patients in the state of New Hampshire were hospitalized with coronavirus Monday, a new national data study shows some hospitals are "dangerously full" at the same time medical institutions try to catch up on lost business and delayed procedures from the spring.

The study, published by National Public Radio, collected data from health departments across the country and showed varying degrees of hospital bed capacity up to 50 percent occupied by coronavirus patients.

In New Hampshire, counties are at 18 percent or less of capacity for coronavirus, according to the study, which evens out close to the state's 7 percent average hospitalization rate — 256 patients based on close to 3,500 hospital beds at 26 hospitals in the state. But due to hospitals performing other procedures, most have less than 30 percent beds available if COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to rise.

The study, which was originally published on Dec. 9, had data which appeared to be accurate but dated, according to some hospital officials. The study was also incomplete — it did not have data from Coos or Sullivan counties, which both have hospitals. The Grafton County data also did not include information about the state's largest hospital — Dartmouth-Hitchcock in Hanover. Other officials said it was hard to track the specifics with hospitalizations because patient beds change so quickly.

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"This data was accurate in terms of the time period it reflects, but it’s only a snapshot in time," said Lauren Collins-Cline, the director of communications and public relations at Catholic Medical Center in Manchester. "Our hospital census and our COVID-19 patient census change throughout the day and one day can look quite different from the next."

On average, the study said, CMC had 21 daily coronavirus patients every week with 6 percent of adult inpatient beds for coronavirus. Another 66 percent of the hospital's adult inpatient beds were being used — meaning a third of the hospital's 330 beds were empty.

Collins-Cline called the situation "very fluid" and noted infections had "intensified" since Thanksgiving. She added, last week, there were times with the hospital was more than 90 percent occupied in the COVID-19 units and medical and surgical units.

"Fortunately, working with hospital partners throughout the state, we have been able to ensure that patients are getting the appropriate care in the appropriate place," Collins-Cline said.

The study said Concord Hospital had an average 17 coronavirus patients per week with 7 percent of its hospital beds handling those cases. About 72 percent of all adult inpatient beds were being used, according to the study. The hospital has 295 beds so about 80 would be presumed to be open.

However, Jennifer Dearborn, the director of public affairs for Concord Hospital, said the data was low — "approximately 17 to 20 percent of our beds have COVID-19 positive patients" leading to a much lower number of open beds than the study presumed.

Elliot Hospital in Manchester, which has 296 beds, was reportedly at 80 percent of adult capacity with 14 percent of its beds for coronavirus. At Southern NH Medical Center in Nashua, about 17 percent of its beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients with 76 percent filled.

Stephanie Brooks, the public relations and communications manager for Solution Health, which owns both hospitals, confirmed the Elliot numbers were accurate but SNHMC were off — only 26 of the hospital beds have coronavirus patients.

"We are busy in both cities, but managing," she said, adding, "and the good news is we began vaccinating front line staff today."

Heidi Kukla, a nurse in Elliot Hospital's intensive care unit, was the first individual to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in the state of New Hampshire, according to officials.

Gov. Chris Sununu said the vaccine was "the beginning of that light at the end of the tunnel that we have talked about for so long."

Kukla volunteered to be the first one to get the vaccine because she knew there were reservations about receiving it.

"Getting this vaccine for me is the first step in having all of this be done — and I really hope that our getting this first inspires other people to not be afraid and to step up and get the vaccine," she said.

St. Joseph's Hospital in Nashua is averaging 19 patients per week with 14 percent of its 208 beds occupied by coronavirus patients. The study said about 75 percent of its beds were in use.

Portsmouth Regional Hospital has 84 percent of its 220 beds in use but only 5 percent were COVID-19 patients, the study said. The hospital has averaged nine coronavirus patients per week, on average.

Lynn Robbins, the director of marketing and communications at Portsmouth Regional Hospital, said the data reported was accurate and all hospitals report to the state on a regular basis. She said staffing was adequate but described the increase in cases as a "slow boil."

The study said Exeter Hospital had 17 percent of its 100 beds had COVID-19 patients with 71 percent of its beds being used.

State health public information officers did not respond to a request for comment about hospital bed capacity study and what appear to be hospital beds filling up across the state.

At past news conferences, officials have said they interact with hospitals often. Hospital officials, they said, at capacity to treat patients inside buildings even if bed capacity became tight. If New Hampshire needs to open up remote hospitals, it can do so within 48 hours, with the help of the National Guard.

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