Central Kentucky hospitals ‘at or over capacity’ amid swell of RSV, COVID and flu cases
Multiple hospitals in Central Kentucky report being at or near capacity as their staff are strained by rising seasonal flu, RSV and COVID-19 cases.
Thursday afternoon, a spokesperson for UK HealthCare confirmed Chandler Hospital in Lexington is at capacity. Kentucky Children’s Hospital is also close to full.
Both facilities have been consistently operating at those levels for weeks, Allison Perry, a deputy public relations director for UK’s medical campus, told the Herald-Leader.
“Overall, our patient volumes have been on the rise since September. Due to this high volume of pediatric and adult patients, our teams are working diligently to provide as much access to care as possible and that includes recently opening some temporary spaces to accommodate patients,” Perry wrote in an email.
Meanwhile, staff at Baptist Health in Richmond have asked the public for patience amid extended wait times in the hospital’s emergency room.
Earlier Thursday, Baptist Health Richmond released a video public service announcement featuring hospital staff who described a backlog of patients in the facility’s ER created by a perfect storm of flu, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and COVID-19 cases.
“The hospital is full. Even transfers are being affected because a lot of the hospitals in Lexington are also full,” said Charles Spillman, a physician assistant at Baptist Health Richmond.
Lora King, who directs emergency services for Baptist Health Richmond, said the facility is “actually at or over capacity within the hospital.”
“While it is difficult to get everybody seen, we’re doing the best we can to try to get everybody through quickly in the emergency department,” said King, who also oversees cardiovascular and behavioral health services.
Use the map below to see federal data on hospital capacity by county from the week of Dec. 9.
Note: This graphic will automatically update as new data become available.
Respiratory illness widespread in Kentucky
COVID-19 transmission is high or substantial across most of Kentucky, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
The Bluegrass State is also one of 11 states considered “very high” for the spread of influenza-like diseases this flu season. The state counted more than 7,000 flu cases from Nov. 27 to Dec. 3.
The U.S. is experiencing an early flu season this year, with climbing hospitalizations for serious infections. Peak flu season in Lexington typically runs from late January through early February.
To make matters worse, the seasonal virus is making its rounds as other illnesses also take off, including rising COVID-19 cases and a sharp uptick in RSV hospitalizations.
“In addition to the patients that we see with upper respiratory infections … We are also seeing a high number of behavioral health patients. This tends to be the peak season that we see patients with behavioral health, especially around the holidays,” Spillman, the physician assistant with Baptist Health Richmond, said.
As a result, providers are asking for the community’s support to ensure they are seeking care at the appropriate location, including primary care clinics, urgent care, virtual care and emergency departments. You should only go to the emergency room if you are experiencing a health emergency.
“As much as you’re having to wait, we don’t want you to have to wait, but that just means that we’re busier in the back,” King, the hospital administrator, said in the PSA released Thursday.
King reminded the public that ER patients are triaged and seen based on the severity of their condition. Patients experiencing chest pains or stroke-like symptoms have first priority, for example.
“The other thing we ask is you just be kind. We don’t want to make people wait. We want to do the best thing we can to take care of you. COVID has not been easy on us, so we ask that you just be kind to the nursing staff that’s taking care of you,” King said.
The situation has become so severe, Perry said UK Healthcare representatives will be participating in a joint news conference Monday in partnership with Baptist Health Lexington and CHI Saint Joseph. The media event will “talk through what we are collectively seeing and how the community can help de-stress the hospital systems.”
Elected officials and public health experts have urged the public throughout the pandemic to stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccine and flu shot to help relieve strain on health care providers.
To get your COVID-19 vaccine or find a flu shot, go online to vaccines.gov.
This story may be updated.
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This story was originally published December 15, 2022 at 11:56 AM.