Twin Cities metro hospitals facing spike in patient intakes
FILE - Stock image of an empty hospital bed. (FOX TV Stations)
(FOX 9) - Hospitals across the Twin Cities metro have been watching intake numbers climb in recent weeks and officials say COVID-19 is not the only reason behind the uptick.
Summer is generally a busy season for emergency departments and that is holding true this year. In addition, the Minnesota Hospital Association says health systems across the metro are also seeing a steady rise in COVID-19 patients. It’s a combination that has hospitals a bit stretched.
Hennepin Healthcare told FOX 9 that since mid-July, there's been a 15 percent increase in the number of patients admitted every day. Allina Health officials says the daily census across its metro campuses has been growing this week.
Hospital officials believe the increase is a mix of people seeking care they may have put off during the pandemic along with the rapidly spreading delta variant.
Hospital leaders say that they are still able to meet the community's needs, but that they are keeping a close eye on the trends.