Leaders from Albuquerque hospitals provided an update on the COVID-19 pandemic in their facilities, saying resources are stretched but not yet broken, and said the systems are working together to help patients. Lovelace Chief Medical Officer Dr. Vesta Sandoval said hospitals around the state are seeing an increased number of COVID-19 patients.
As of Monday, the state of New Mexico reported that over 738 people are being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals statewide. “Everyone’s surge plans are activated,” Sandoval said. “Everybody is evaluating multiple times a day, our status, our bed status, our availability, communicating with everyone within our system, as well as the other facilities within the city and state, trying to have access for the patients that are coming in.”
Dr. Denise Gonzales, the medical director at Presbyterian, said she believed that the two-week shelter-in-place order that began Monday would have a positive impact on the number of hospitalizations. She said Presbyterian facilities are “filled well beyond what is our typical capacity.”
The three healthcare leaders also spoke about the toll the pandemic has taken on healthcare workers as they work to take care of the skyrocketing numbers of COVID-19 patients.”
All hospitals have already taken measures to expand capacity as part of their surge plans.