KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With growing concerns about hospital capacity, there is a distinction between the number of available beds and number of staffed beds, Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Dr. Lee Norman said Tuesday.
While a hospital might have a certain number of beds open, Norman said those might not all be staffed.
Staffing constraints have increased in Kansas hospitals due to health care workers becoming ill or waiting on COVID-19 test results, according to Norman.
“If a hospital is at capacity for bed space, particularly in its intensive care unit, we run the risk of Kansans not having access to medical care when they need it most. The rising number of hospitalizations is certainly cause for concern,” Gov. Laura Kelly said at the joint news conference.
Norman said his department is working with hospital leaders in the state to identify temporary staffing solutions, noting that increased hospitalizations are due to community spread.
Norman and Kelly each encouraged mask wearing to prevent further spread of the virus at Tuesday’s conference.
“We must protect our communities and front line workers,” Norman said. “The commitment of all of us to wear a mask, socially distance and reduce the spread is critical to not overrun hospital systems.”
Though Kansas did not report updated numbers Tuesday, the state surpassed the 100,000 case mark Monday.
Norman also said that flu, COVID-19 and emergency patients are all competing for the same beds at hospitals, and urged people to get their flu shots and practice coronavirus safety precautions to reduce the number of patients seeking care.
“The competition for beds is getting steeper all the time, and it doesn't make any difference if it's an emergency admission, an influenza or COVID-19 — they all compete for the same beds,” Norman said. “But influenza is something we can do something about through the influenza vaccine.”
Kelly said she expects to announce more action on a statewide level next week, specifically in regards to the state’s unified testing strategy and new public service campaign about mask wearing.
Kelly’s administration is working with the Republican-led legislature on the campaign to help local communities spread mask messaging.
The compromise came after Kelly’s request for a special legislative session to restore her power to implement a statewide mask mandate.
Earlier Tuesday, the Wichita, Kansas, school board said middle and high schoolers will continue remote learning through the end of the semester.
It is the largest school district in the state.
In other counties, officials are taking local steps to limit the size of public gatherings and even impose a mask mandate.
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