Some Arizona hospitals that activate emergency plans for COVID-19 may mean a different level of care
Will Humble, the former director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, says that when hospitals activate surge plans, the level of care could change due to the fact that the care of doctors and nurses is stretched extremely thin.
After months of intervention, COVID-19 Hospitalization numbers decreased in New York, and the Arizona nurses who answered the call for help are now returning home.
After 68 days, Cahlie McGraw of Phoenix You are seeing your daughter for the first time. McGraw is a pediatric emergency room nurse and answered the call to help treat COVID-19 patients in New York City, which was once the access point for the virus.
“The most heartbreaking part was having these patients who haven’t seen the family in months,” he explained.
After more than 2 months there, she hoped to return home to spend time with her family, but now she is coming to another battlefield.
“It’s frightening. It is heartbreaking to see things improve in New York and progress, and to see that Arizona has done the opposite, “said McGraw.
Arizona is watching record high daily positive cases.
Will Humble with the Arizona Public Health Association and the former director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, says that by July 4, if not sooner, the state will be at a crisis care level.
“Whether or not you have a COVID-related illness, the standard of care when it will be emergency or crisis care will be different than the standard care you have normally received,” Humble explained.
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He adds, the interventions should have been done around Memorial Day weekend before reaching this point.
“The best we can do now is deal with the situations we have, put in more aggressive prevention measures, really enforce the bars, restaurants and shops that are cutting corners on mitigation,” said Humble.
Several nightclubs and bars in Old Town Scottsdale temporarily shut down after being labeled bad actors by Governor Doug Ducey. Riot House was accused of violating social distancing guidelines.
