Essentia Health will add 32 ICU beds to its $900 million Vision Northland hospital project, a 10% overall increase in patient rooms and twice the current number of ICU rooms, the Star Tribune reports in Minnesota.
Essentia leaders initially intended to leave one of 10 inpatient floors empty, anticipating a changing health care landscape and allowing for flexibility as new needs arise. But the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic forced a change of direction.
The pandemic “has illustrated to us how vulnerable we are as a society,” said Dr. Jon Pryor, president of the health system’s eastern region. “There has been a general shortage of staffed ICU beds across the country, and by doing this now it ensures that we’ll be better prepared to meet those needs.”
Delayed care, both routine and preventive, has led to an increase in disease, strokes and other medical events that require higher levels of care, Pryor said, as more patients stayed home during the pandemic. Read more.
