DUBLIN, Ga. — The COVID-19 pandemic has touched hospitals in big cities, small towns, and everywhere in between.
Fairview Park Hospital in Dublin is no exception.
The number of COVID-19 patients there is growing.
"It's extremely challenging," said ICU Director and nurse Tami Thomsen.
On Saturday, three confirmed cases were hospitalized there. Now, there are seven. An additional five patients are "under investigation" for the virus, hospital CEO Donald Avery says.
According to him, four of those patients are in intensive care. Three are now on ventilators.
That's still well below the hospital's capacity. Avery says Fairview Park Hospital has the ability to staff about 165 beds. Their ICU has 16 beds with the ability to expand to 24 (and potentially even more, if staffing allows).
Thomsen hopes that won't be necessary and the numbers stay manageable.
But according to her, even one COVID-19 patient in the ICU presents a challenge.
"They're the sickest we've ever seen," she said.
Treating those patients isn't the only battle.
The cancellation of almost all elective surgeries vaporized millions of dollars worth of hospital revenue.
"Our net revenue which is normally, you know, maybe $11 or $12 million a month is probably $6 or $7 million a month," the CEO said.
Fairview Park, he says, is now operating at about 75% of their full staff levels.
Part-time staff have been furloughed. Some full time-employees whose roles have disappeared are now on a "pandemic pay program" that provides 70% of their base salary.
Many others have been redeployed throughout the hospital.
"It's making sure that as many people as possible continue to get their full-time hours so they can continue to take care of their families," said Avery.
Family is on Thomsen's mind as she makes her rounds.
"I have a 19 month old daughter and she just, she wraps her arms around me when I get home," she said.
According to Avery, the hospital has enough personal protective equipment (PPE) like N95 masks to protect staff like Thomsen for two months at their current burn rate. Avery says if that burn rate speeds up, they still have enough to last at least several weeks and according to him, they have access to more.
Staff uses that PPE when they treat COVID-positive patients, who are kept in strict isolation. Not even family is allowed to physically visit.
"I can't even imagine not being able to be sitting next to that loved one that's sitting in that bed fighting for their life," she said.
So the ICU team uses video calls on apps like FaceTime to bridge the gap.
"One of our patients actually had a birthday and we celebrated," said Thomsen. "We did balloons. We hung a banner. We made it where the mother could actually sing to her."
Small moments of connection like those make isolated patients a little less alone.
More are likely to arrive. Models predict Georgia hospitals to hit peak capacity around the end of April or beginning of May.
"We're at the center of the storm," Avery said. "We have the opportunity to care for and serve the people of middle Georgia."
Thomsen says her team is ready.
"We're here to do it together," she said. "We're going to stay strong and we're going to get through it."
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