Beaumont ERs nearly full

180 beds shut down amid staffing shortage

A staffing shortage 18 months into the COVID-19 pandemic has created a perfect storm at Beaumont Health and other health systems in Michigan.

All 10 of Beamont’s emergency departments are experiencing extremely high volume. Patients are asked to consider all options for treatment, such as urgent care or their primary care physician, when appropriate.

Beaumont has also temporarily shut down 180 of its 3,375 beds across the eight hospitals in the system. Henry Ford Health System announced on Monday it had closed down 120 beds.

This is not due to a large number of COVID patients — there are just 241 spread across eight Beaumont hospitals.

“Similar to the way you may see in a restaurant when they have sections closed and you may have to wait to get seated. The same thing unfortunately is happening in the hospitals. It’s really become more of a staffing issue than a space issue. Staffing is (an issue) throughout the entire Beaumont system as well as across the nation. These are problems everyone is having,’’ Dr. David Donaldson, Beaumont Hospital, Troy, Emergency Center chief and medical director of the Beaumont Hospital, Troy vaccine clinic, said during a media briefing on Wednesday.

“It’s a trickle down. The staffing issue is not just in emergency centers but throughout the hospitals. So if there’s decreased nursing upstairs those patients will sit in the emergency center for a period of time until they get an inpatient bed,’’ he added.

Staffing shortages include nurses, respiratory therapists, nursing techs, nursing assistants, phlebotomists and environmental

services, among others.

Physicians, physician assistants and practitioners are not in short supply.

“Obviously within health care fatigue is a good part of it. There are other options that people are looking at either from a nursing perspective or another healthcare provider perspective that may be, at the time, more attractive to them,’’ said Dr. Christopher Carpenter, infectious diseases specialist and chair of Internal Medicine at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak.

About 69-70% of the COVID patients at Beaumont are unvaccinated. That number is higher for the severe cases.

“I think overall the frustration is because we have vaccines that could limit and prevent illness and people are hesitant to get the vaccine. We need more education out there in regard to getting vaccinated,’’ Carpenter added.

Beaumont’s employee vaccine mandate deadline is Oct. 18. Neither doctor thinks that is playing into the staffing shortage.

The doctors could not give exact numbers of the crowded emergency centers because it’s a fluid situation depending on the time of day. Donaldson said at the Beaumont Troy location about 10% of patients that arrive at the emergency centers are COVID related.

He wants to assure patients that the emergency centers are open and ready to serve, but if it’s a minor situation it would be better to find care elsewhere. He estimates the wait time is double what it usually is.

Obviously those with chest pains, shortness of breath or stroke symptoms should go to the emergency centers. Others might seek guidance from their primary care physicians.

“(If uncertain) I would err on the side of caution and come into the ER,’’ Donaldson said.”It’s better to be evaluated and not have an emergency than to have an emergency and not be evaluated.’’

Along with the staffing shortage, COVID and people getting care that was delayed during the pandemic, there is also a blood shortage in Southeast Michigan.

Carpenter asked for blood donations.

They both implored for the unvaccinated to get the vaccine.