From burnout to bed space, Lancaster General Hospital is feeling the effects of rising COVID-19 cases and staffing shortages.Doctors are concerned about patient care, given that beds are filling up and workers are feeling the strain.”It’s no different than any other industry who’s trying to find skilled labor, so health care is having the same challenges. We’re facing a burnout crisis, of personal burnout,” said Dr. Michael Ripchinski, the chief clinical officer for Lancaster General Health.There are hundreds of unfilled positions at LG Health. Some workers left after refusing to get vaccinated.”Very small percentage,” Ripchinski said.Ripchinski said that while hospital staffing shortages aren’t out of the ordinary, this is happening during another wave of COVID-19 cases. It’s putting a strain on services.”Seventy COVID patients. That’s more than three of our medical-surgical units are completely full with patients with COVID-19. That has an impact,” Ripchinski said.Bed space is also at a premium.”We are very full,” Ripchinski said.That’s leading to decisions about care, such as putting off elective surgeries, which are being handled on a case-by-case basis.”There’s no blanket reduction like we’ve done in the past. What we’ve done is work with patients, work with families, work with our surgeons and work with the or in trying to figure out how to balance the schedule to meet the needs of all the patients that need care,” Ripchinski said.With a COVID-19 positivity rate of 11% in Lancaster County, hospital resources continue to be stretched thin.”I would love for us to be in a different situation,” he said.Ripchinski said he doesn’t believe COVID-19 hospitalizations have hit a plateau yet in Lancaster County. He urged people to get vaccinated, practice social distancing and wear masks.
From burnout to bed space, Lancaster General Hospital is feeling the effects of rising COVID-19 cases and staffing shortages.
Doctors are concerned about patient care, given that beds are filling up and workers are feeling the strain.
“It’s no different than any other industry who’s trying to find skilled labor, so health care is having the same challenges. We’re facing a burnout crisis, of personal burnout,” said Dr. Michael Ripchinski, the chief clinical officer for Lancaster General Health.
There are hundreds of unfilled positions at LG Health. Some workers left after refusing to get vaccinated.
“Very small percentage,” Ripchinski said.
Ripchinski said that while hospital staffing shortages aren’t out of the ordinary, this is happening during another wave of COVID-19 cases. It’s putting a strain on services.
“Seventy COVID patients. That’s more than three of our medical-surgical units are completely full with patients with COVID-19. That has an impact,” Ripchinski said.
Bed space is also at a premium.
“We are very full,” Ripchinski said.
That’s leading to decisions about care, such as putting off elective surgeries, which are being handled on a case-by-case basis.
“There’s no blanket reduction like we’ve done in the past. What we’ve done is work with patients, work with families, work with our surgeons and work with the or in trying to figure out how to balance the schedule to meet the needs of all the patients that need care,” Ripchinski said.
With a COVID-19 positivity rate of 11% in Lancaster County, hospital resources continue to be stretched thin.
“I would love for us to be in a different situation,” he said.
Ripchinski said he doesn’t believe COVID-19 hospitalizations have hit a plateau yet in Lancaster County. He urged people to get vaccinated, practice social distancing and wear masks.