Mount Nittany Health activates COVID-19 surge capacity plan in response to influx of patients
Mount Nittany Medical Center treated Friday a record amount of patients who contracted the new coronavirus after a monthlong surge in new cases.
Thirteen patients are being treated for COVID-19 as of Friday, the health care system said. Seven are from long-term care facilities. The hospital’s previous single-day high was eight patients.
The influx of patients prompted the health system to implement planned adjustments to its normal operations. The hospital expects to first reschedule elective procedures and surgeries that require an overnight admission.
The viability of procedures is expected to be evaluated daily based on the amount of patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 and the hospital’s overall census. Outpatient and emergency surgeries are expected to continue.
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have been diligently monitoring COVID-19 cases in our community and planning our response if the number of hospitalized cases rose,” Chief Medical Officer Nirmal Joshi said in a written statement. “The steps that we are taking now are prudent and realistic to ensure that we have the resources and care available for the people who need us.”
The increased volume of COVID-19 patients has not overwhelmed the College Township-based hospital, which developed in May a 21-bed specialized unit to treat patients afflicted with the coronavirus.
Mount Nittany’s average daily census of COVID-19 patients for the past two weeks has been between six and eight, according to the health system. The 13 hospitalized Friday are between the ages of 33 and 96.
The health system is working with the state Health Department and long-term care facilities in Centre County to identify more possible cases.
“It is absolutely critical that we continue to emphasize the importance of wearing a mask, washing hands and social distancing. This is a serious disease. These are vulnerable populations. It’s our responsibility as a community to protect each other,” Joshi said. “This is yet another reminder that we are operating in extraordinary times and the growth of COVID cases and hospitalizations bears consequences.”
About two-thirds of the state’s 8,308 deaths attributed to the coronavirus have been reported in nursing homes or long-term care facilities, according to the state Department of Health.
A majority of Centre County’s new cases since September have been reported in either State College or University Park ZIP codes.
Penn State President Eric Barron has repeatedly pointed to three metrics as integral in effectively battling the pandemic: quarantine and isolation spaces, community transmission and hospital capacity.
“The university has a long-standing partnership with Mount Nittany Health and is in close contact with the hospital. Hospital capacity is an extremely important part of our metrics and analysis, and we are monitoring this closely to see that our community is able to be supported as needed during this critical time,” the university said in a statement. “We continue to urge our students, faculty and staff at all campuses and in adjacent communities to do their part to limit the spread of COVID-19 — and to continue to wear face masks, practice social distancing and avoid gatherings.”
Other metrics aren’t in Centre County’s favor.
The county has had the highest incidence rate in the state for weeks, and its positivity rate remains among the highest in the commonwealth, according to the state’s early warning dashboard.
From March to mid-August, before the official Penn State student move-in, the county had 392 total cases of the coronavirus. Since then, it’s added another 2,899 cases.
State College spokesperson Douglas Shontz said the borough is “happy that Mount Nittany is taking these steps to protect our community,” while two Penn State associate professors expressed disappointment in the university.
“It’s especially troubling that the hospital is implementing its surge protocols. That doesn’t bode well for the future,” said Sarah Townsend, an organizer of the faculty-based group Coalition for a Just University. “... It seemed inevitable that Pandora’s Box would open eventually, and that seems to be where we are right now.”
Added Michelle Rodino-Colocino, the Penn State chapter president of the American Association of University Professors: “It’s time to shut down in-person classes today. At Penn State and clearly in State College (Area) School District.”
As of Thursday two cases among employees and four among students have been reported at SCASD since the beginning of the school year. The district plans to continue in-person learning.