UW-Health Faces Space, Staffing Shortages As Omicron Wave Closes In

MILWAUKEE, WI — A Wisconsin hospital system's facilities are "very full," and health system leaders said Tuesday they could be potentially overwhelmed in coming weeks as the omicron variant drives the latest surge of COVID-19 hospitalizations.

UW-Health, the health system of University of Wisconsin - Madison, might not have the staff or space needed in its hospitals to take care of the number of COVID-19 patients its currently seeing if the trend of rising hospitalizations continues, chief quality officer Dr. Jeff Pothof said in a statement.

"Our staff have been incredible, and they continue to provide the best care even in these difficult circumstances," he said. "But ultimately we are struggling to accommodate the volume of patients we’re seeing, and that volume is increasing."

The health system is trying to manage the number of incoming patients by eliminating non-essential procedures scheduled at a time and converting spaces to accommodate more COVID-19 patients with.

Full hospitals mean that access to doctors would be harder for people who suffer from a heart attack or a stroke, or get injured in a car accident, Pothof said.

"We’re dangerously close to the point where there just aren’t resources for all of those cases" Pothof added. "You think it can’t happen to you, but it can if we continue to stay on this trajectory."

People are urged to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and influenza as soon as possible, and the health system said to get a booster shot as soon as possible.

There were 2,501 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, and Wisconsin Department of Health Services data showed the seven-day average for new cases was 3,375 new cases per day.

There were 1,600 COVID-19 patients in Wisconsin hospitals on Monday, Wisconsin Hospital Association data showed.

See Also: Omicron Cases Explode In Wisconsin: See Latest CDC Data