Camden Area Hospitals Lack Beds For Coronavirus Surge: Report

CAMDEN, NJ — With the number of new coronavirus cases increasing nationwide and in our area, Camden area hospitals are projected to run out of beds for patients in some hospitals if the number of infected people rises by even a few hundred.

The warning about the potential for overwhelmed hospitals comes from an analysis by Harvard Global Health Institute and ProPublica.

The report underscores the seriousness of the need to "flatten the curve" through social distancing, which health officials hope will slow the spread of the disease and keep hospital caseloads manageable. But even in what experts consider a moderate rate of infection, ProPublica said, hospitals in ProPublica refers to as the “Camden Region” would fall short of the demand for beds.

Gov. Phil Murphy has ordered schools and non-essential businesses closed in an attempt to stunt the increase in cases, and he's also banned gatherings of 50 people ore more. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

Already, New Jersey has recorded 427 confirmed cases and five deaths. Cases have been reported in Camden (8), Burlington (10) and Gloucester counties, with the two Gloucester County residents being identified as employees in the Inspira Health System.

As a result, the Radiation Oncology Department at Inspira Medical Center Vineland, hospital is temporarily closed and appointments are being rescheduled. Read more here: First 2 Positive Coronavirus Cases Reported In Gloucester County

Inspira, Virtua, Cooper Health and Jefferson already have policies in place restricting visitors, and state officials are working on ways to help make more room as coronavirus cases increase.

"Virtua Health is aware of the data and recognizes the strain on resources, space, and staffing that the novel coronavirus will create. Our command center operates 24/7 and closely monitors the situation as it evolves," Virtua Health Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer Reginald Blaber said."Everyone is in this together, and it is our collective responsibility to try to flatten the curve, keep people healthy, and reduce the strain on health care providers. In order to focus our attention on the area of greatest need, Virtua temporarily suspended all elective surgeries and procedures effective March 18. This measure allows us to potentially reallocate and reassign resources. To safeguard the health of our patients and employees, Virtua enacted a no visitation policy at its hospitals and long-term care facilities. Restrictions are also in place for our vendors. Employees who are able to fulfill the functions of their role remotely are now telecommuting temporarily. Those in patient-facing roles have embraced the necessity of social distancing.

Virtua operates hospitals in Camden, Marlton, Voorhees, Mount Holly and Willingboro, and medical centers across South Jersey.

"This outbreak is obviously larger than any one health system, and collaboration and cooperation across the region and state will be essential to facing the challenge before us. By working together we can better meet the need," Blaber said. "Virtua implores the residents of South Jersey to adhere to all the precautionary measures enacted on the federal, state, and local level. This includes preventive, self-imposed at-home isolation, abiding by travel restrictions, and keeping at least six feet or more from those you encounter. There is evidence that social distancing is effective in slowing the trajectory of the virus, and it is an easy way we can protect one another and ourselves."

Cooper Health System in Camden and Jefferson, which operates hospitals in Cherry Hill, Washington Township and Stratford, said they were working to develop a response to the report.

In South Jersey specifically, the state conducted a walk-through at Underwood Memorial Hospital in Woodbury, and it is working with Inspira Health. The Department of Health hopes that hospital can reopen and accommodate an additional 300 beds.

"If approved, the hospital would undergo 3-4 weeks of rapid renovation in preparation. Once reopened, the hospital would accept medical surgical patients – pending available beds – from other neighboring hospitals that have reached capacity. This includes non-Inspira hospitals," Inspira spokesman Paul Simon said Wednesday evening. "The Woodbury hospital would be utilized for a variety of services to relieve strain on health care systems across South Jersey, not necessarily to exclusively quarantine and treat patients with the coronavirus. Inspira Health has been working closely with State Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli, helping to support the need for increased capacity of critical care and surgical beds in the region through the potential reopening of this facility."

Murphy said he's also put in a request with the Trump administration to help erect more emergency beds and even hospitals.

State Health Officer Judith Persichilli said she's concerned about the health care system, saying the state is looking to ensure that hospitals have the manpower, the supplies and the space that's needed for the duration of the outbreak.

"There are predictions that many parts of the United States will have far too few hospital beds if the new coronavirus continues to spread," she said. "That's why we're working with hospitals to develop surge and capacity planning."

She said 260 additional beds should be brought online by Wednesday. Of those, 199 will be in North Jersey, 11 will be in Central Jersey and 50 will be in South Jersey. Persichilli expects 227 additional beds to become available within next three to four weeks.

From ProPublica:

As of 2018, Camden, NJ, had 6,530 total hospital beds, of which about 65 percent were occupied, potentially leaving only 2,290 beds open for additional patients. The bed count includes 700 beds in intensive care units, according to data from the American Hospital Association and the American Hospital Directory. Intensive care units are best equipped to handle the most acute coronavirus cases.

The Camden, NJ, region has a population of about 2.8 million residents; 17 percent are over the age of 65. The experience in other countries has shown that elderly patients have significantly higher hospitalization and fatality rates from the coronavirus.

In the moderate scenario, in which 40 percent of the adult population contracts the disease over 12 months, Camden, NJ would be among the regions that would need to expand capacity.

It is estimated that about 8 percent of the adult population would require hospital care. In a moderate scenario where 40 percent of the population is infected over a 12-month period, hospitals in Camden, NJ would receive an estimated 186,000 coronavirus patients. The influx of patients would require 6,220 beds over 12 months, which is 2.7 times the number of available beds in that time period. The Harvard researchers' scenarios assume that each coronavirus patient will require 12 days of hospital care on average, based on data from China.

In the Camden, NJ region, intensive care units would be especially overwhelmed and require additional capacity. Without coronavirus patients, there are only 290 available beds on average in intensive care units, which is 4.6 times less than what is needed to care for all severe cases.

ProPublica, a Patch Partner, is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power and other public concerns. Click here to see ProPublica’s full story and specifics about hospitals in your area.