COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — Kootenai Health is treating a record number of coronavirus patients, according to the hospital’s website.
As of Monday, Dec. 10, the hospital was treating 76 COVID-19 inpatients, 16 of which required critical care. This is more than double the amount of coronavirus patients the hospital was treating when they announced they were nearing capacity in October.
According to Kootenai Health Communications Specialist Andrea Nagel, the hospital is at 96 percent capacity on its medical/surgical units. She said this is about 15-20 percent higher than its usual capacity during this time of year. Typically, Nagel said operations hover between 70-80 percent capacity.
Nagel said the hospital has converted two and a half of its units into COVID-19 only units, many of which have rooms with double occupancy.
In late October, Kootenai Health reported medical and surgical beds were 99% full, with 31 COVID-19 patients, 11 of which required critical care. At the time, hospital leaders said they were looking at hospitals in Portland and Seattle to transfer patients.
The hospital also said back in October that it was also facing a staffing shortage. They said it is becoming more difficult to find and recruit nurses because of the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases.
Kootenai Health is currently licensed for 330 hospital beds, 200 of which are designated as "medical/surgical/critical care." The remainder are used for labor and delivery, post-partum, behavioral health, chemical dependency and the hospital's NICU.
As of Wednesday, Dec. 9, Panhandle health reported 419 new cases with 12,116 total cases since the start of the pandemic. Eleven deaths have been reported in the region since Dec. 8, with 140 total deaths. Since the start of the pandemic, 596 North Idaho residents have been hospitalized for COVID-19.
