Hospital capacity a major concern in Western Pennsylvania

PITTSBURGH — There’s still a steady flow of ambulances arriving at ERs throughout Western Pennsylvania.

The difference from six weeks ago is there’s a far greater chance a COVID-19 patient is inside. That’s stretching resources as hospitals fight to keep up.

“I read to the city schools during my days off and these are some of the books I read,” said Mike Nichols.

For nearly three decades, Nichols has volunteered to read to Pittsburgh Public Schools students.

It’s a passion that was nearly erased after he was diagnosed with COVID-19 and immediately hospitalized.

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“I was scared. I was really scared,” Nichols said.

Hospitals statewide are filling up as the pandemic rages on.

Using federal data and the university of Minnesota’s hospital capacity tracking project, NPR created a tool to give a better idea which hospitals are being stretched thin.

The analysis shows 50% of beds at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Natrona Heights are taken up by COVID-19 patients.

More than a quarter of the beds are filled with Covid patients at UPMC East in Monroeville, UPMC St. Margaret in Aspinall, Jefferson Hospital in Jefferson Hills and St. Clair Hospital in Mt. Lebanon.

“We look at this every hour and can help identify where there are stress points, how to relieve them and what the outcome is from those efforts,” said UPMC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Don Yealy.

Yealy said hospitals like UPMC East are well positioned to handle the surge, with other nearby facilities able to step in and help when needed.

“I actually do not believe that we’ll have any difficulty providing the care. That’s not to say it won’t be a challenge and it’s not to say we don’t all have a role in this,” Yealy said.

Nichols knows the stress of COVID-19 all too well.

He spent four days in the hospital before being released in late November -- a recovery he attests to prayer and good care.

“Those doctors over there at UPMC Shadyside, they’re fantastic. They really are and I would like to commend them because they pulled me through,” Nichols said.

As of Tuesday morning, a spokeswoman with Allegheny Health Network confirmed they have a capacity of 300 ICU beds systemwide, which could be doubled if needed. Like their neighbors at UPMC, AHN isn’t in danger of running out of ICU beds any time soon.

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