Sunday, June 28, 2020

Houston-area hospital system CEO confident it has capacity to respond to coronavirus surge

Dr. David Callender, CEO of Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, told CNBC on Friday that its hospitals continue to have adequate capacity despite Texas' growing coronavirus outbreak.

"We actually still think we have plenty of capacity to meet the demand for Covid, as well as non-Covid patients" Callender said on "The Exchange." "We're always busy in the summertime, and what we're seeing now is a typical summer for us."

Callender, whose not-for-profit health system has 17 hospitals in the Houston area, stressed that the medical network's capacity is "Constantly in flux" and needing to be managed.

Callender's comments came shortly after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott rolled back part of the state's reopening plans, following a surge in Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations in recent weeks.

On Thursday, Abbott also temporarily postponed elective medical procedures in some Texas counties to preserve hospital capacity, including Harris, Dallas and Travis, which is home to the city of Austin.

Callender, in explaining his confidence about hospital capacity, said the system is "Used to dealing with complex patients" and believes it will be able to adjust to increased demand.

"Right now, only about 30% are being utilized for Covid care, so we still have plenty of capacity for Covid patients as well as patients who need hospitalization for other illnesses."

No comments: