A behind the scenes look at the overcrowded So. Oregon hospital system

ROGUE VALLEY, Ore. —Staff at Asante Three Rivers Medical Center in Grants Pass, are working to help the sickest of the sick, as COVID-19 cases continue to spike.

“This is the biggest surge we’ve ever seen in this county to date, and it is completely overwhelming the hospital system,” said Asante Three Rivers Medical Director, Dr. Christopher David.

In recent weeks Asante health officials have shared with us the stress the Rogue Valley-based health system is facing. For the first time, a look behind the exhaustion, and frustration, and sadness that is COVID-19. As the spread of the Delta variant grows, more people are falling victim to it.

“I cannot emphasize it enough that this is not a joke anymore, we are in a true health care crisis,” said Asante Three Rivers Surgeon, Dr. Scott Nelson.

An Asante spokesperson says with the availability of the vaccine, and as the current situation has reached crisis proportions, it is important for our community to see this video. It’s what’s happening daily in our hospitals. Public Health officials and hospital staff say they’ve never seen it this bad.

Asante says as of Thursday morning, there are 152 patients with COVID-19 in its three hospitals. The points on your screen in orange, are unvaccinated patients, the ones in blue are vaccinated, patients. 41 of these cases are in either the Intermediate Care Unit or the Intensive Care Unit. Of these cases, 16 are on ventilators.

“We have individuals who are 30, 40, 50, and 60 years of age who are otherwise healthy, in intensive care units with no pre-existing conditions who are dying,” said Dr. Nelson.

Health care workers continue to treat the overload of patients  The emotional, physical, and mental anguish in trying to care for the sickest of the sick, wearing on them, nearly a year and a half into this pandemic.

“We’re having trouble to keep some form of mental health for our staff, it takes a toll on them during their workday and when they go home, and then we’re asking them to come in every bit they can spare,” said Dr. David.

However, health officials say the solution to the problem has always been masks, and the vaccine. Doctors say with the gravity of the situation, vaccines are not elective, but a must.

“We must vaccinate one another to keep ourselves safe and our community,” said Dr. Nelson.

Without proper precautions scenes like this, won’t be going away anytime soon. With the severe volume increase, hospitals remind you to only come to them in an emergency.

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Jenna King is the 6pm and 11pm anchor for NBC5 News. Jenna is a Burbank, CA native. She graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Sports Business. During her time at Oregon she was part of the student-run television station, Duck TV. She also grew her passion for sports through her internship with the PAC 12 Network. When Jenna is not in the newsroom you can find her rooting for her hometown Dodgers, exploring the outdoors or binging on the latest Netflix release.
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