Four Houston hospitals that are part of the Texas Medical Center system say they have ample capacity to meet the COVID-19 surge.
On Wednesday, the CEOs of Texas Medical Center hospitals sent out a letter saying that the capacity in their intensive care units was “increasingly stretched.” Although 97% of the ICU beds are occupied, the CEOs say that the letter was misinterpreted.
“Just that number is being misinterpreted and, quite frankly, we’re concerned that there is a level of alarm in the community that is unwarranted right now,” said Dr. Marc Boom, the CEO of Houston Methodist Hospital, said at a virtual news conference.
“We have plenty of capacity,” said Dr. David Callender, the CEO of Memorial Hermann Health System. Charles Stokes, Memorial Hermann Health System’s former CEO, and Mark Wallace, the CEO of Texas Children’s Hospital, were also part of the news conference.
The CEOs said they have a plan in place to use additional beds in other areas of their hospitals to meet a COVID-19 surge.
Boom also noted that an ICU occupancy rate in the 90s is not uncommon. In an interview on Wednesday he said that healthcare workers are learning more about how to treat COVID-19 patients.
According to the Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council’s dashboard, ICU beds in the Houston area are 90% occupied. Over 31% of those patients tested positive for the coronavirus.
