(Submitted Photo)

NORWICH – Chenango County’s only hospital has submitted a plan to nearly double its capacity in response to the Governor Andrew Cuomo's call for more hospital beds, as the state deals with the spike in COVID-19 infections.

“They asked us to prepare a plan to increase our capacity by at least 50 percent of our staffed beds,” said David Finney, Vice President of Clinical Services at UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital, referring to a directive issued by the NYS Department of Health late last week. “We were able to deliver a plan that will increase our acute care capabilities by 81 percent overall.”

The surge plan outlines a plan to increase both the number of staffed ICU beds and acute beds.

Currently, Chenango Memorial Hospital has about three intensive care beds and five ventilators.

UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital is a member of United Health Services, a locally owned not-for-profit. The hospital has about 916 beds and is part of the UHS health care system serving the Greater Binghamton region from more than 40 locations around New York’s Southern Tier.

“We’re fortunate to have the space. The staffing and the equipment, that’s the challenge,” said Finney.

According to the hospital administrator, the surge plan is one of many steps the Norwich hospital is taking to prepare for the anticipated influx of patients with COVID-19 in its Chenango County service area.

“Like all healthcare institutions in New York, we have postponed elective surgeries and procedures and restricted visitation. Many patients with routine medical appointments are being contacted to reschedule or, in the case of elderly or chronically ill, moved to telephone or virtual visits,” he said.

Temporary structures installed last week in front of the hospital’s Emergency Room entrance are further evidence of the steps the healthcare organization is taking to prepare. According to Finney, Chenango Memorial intends to use them in much the same way other facilities are using tents to screen patients.

“These pods, which we were able to source locally through Rentals to Go, will allow us to triage, screen and test suspected COVID-19 patients in a safe, climate-controlled environment, while keeping them separate from other patients seeking emergency care,” he explained.

Chenango Memorial obtained a waiver from the NYS Department of Health to implement the plan for the temporary structures, but patient volumes have not yet warranted their use.

According to Finney, the hospital has actually seen a decline in emergency room visits in the past week.

“On one hand, that’s a good sign because it means people are staying home unless they absolutely have to go out. But it could also be an indication that people are putting off seeking care for other ailments because they are afraid they may be exposed to COVID-19 in the Emergency Department,” he said.

He stressed that the hospital and its outpatient clinics are still seeing patients for any emergent need. All precautions are being taken to minimize any risk. Anyone showing symptoms of COVID-19 should call before visiting their doctor or the Emergency Room, to ensure they can be properly isolated upon arrival. UHS has also developed an online screening tool via the UHS Virtual Walk-In, which can be found at www.nyuhs.org/virtual.

“We want to do everything we can to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus to our patients, staff and community at large,” Finney said. “While we don’t yet know how this virus will impact Chenango County, we have an excellent team, ready to care for our community through this crisis while continuing to care for our regular patients in the most appropriate manner.”

For more information on COVID-19, visit www.nyuhs.org.

– Sun Managing Editor Tyler Murphy