Banner Health Adding Nurses, Respiratory Therapists in Arizona Amid the Pandemic

Banner Health, Arizona's largest health system, recently announced it is adding approximately 1,000 respiratory therapists and nurses outside of the state, to its pool of health workers to assist in the COVID-19 pandemic.

The health care organization said, 980 workers more, will be added to its workforce, about double the quantity "added during the busy flu season."

The initiative has taken place as chief human resources officer Naomi Cramer said, there's a need for more care for patients who have COVID-19.

Also, according to Cramer, the said additional workers are traveling respiratory therapists and nurses taking assignments across the nation for weeks, including extensions obtainable for a maximum of 12 weeks. Typically, the chief HR officer added, travel assignments "are around 13 weeks."

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Physicians to Help Mitigate the Pandemic, too

Aside from nurses and respiratory therapists, according to the Arizona Republic, Banner Health said it "has also hired 49 per diem physicians" and seeks to take in 20 more to assist with the demand brought by this global health crisis.

The same report also said, for the majority of people, COVID-19 causes either mild or moderate symptoms like cough and fever, clearing up from two to three weeks.

However, for some people, specifically older adults or those with existing health conditions, it can be more severe illnesses such as pneumonia and even death.

Phyllis Doulaveris, the Chief Operating Officer said, the nurse-to-patient proportion in the intensive care unit ranges from "one-to-one" to "one-to-two." However, patients with COVID-19 are nearly always at a ratio of "one-to-one."

Ensuring Readiness and Aptness

The traveling nurses are undergoing orientation for two days before they start doing their shift work. Doulaveris also explained that the said orientation comprises of nurse shadowing and clinical simulation.

The COO said the nurses are entering where their services are much-needed. Generally, the vast majority of the traveling health workers, she added, "Are caring for COVID-19 patients."

More so, Doulaveris said, these professionals are well-versed with the reported virus, so they are employing most of them in the units designated for the infectious disease.

Banner Health, officials said, has provided roughly 700 workers with more job tasks and accountabilities. It has also asked for more nurses from the Arizona Department of Health Services to send them more nurses.

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Availability of Hospital Beds

On Wednesday, the Arizona Department of Health announced it had hired around 600 nurses to work in shifts at state hospitals "cost-free" for a maximum of six weeks. However, hospitals are required to apply for the said program.

Recent data indicates, 89 percent of the ICU beds had been used as of the middle of this week. Meanwhile, the same data specified, "87 percent of inpatient beds were occupied."

In connection to the said records, it was also reported that over 3,400 beds remained in use statewide by patients both with suspected and confirmed COVID-19. Roughly 1,500 of the said patients are staying in Banner Health hospitals.

Yesterday, the department reported more than 90 additional fatalities due to COVID-10, increasing the total 2,583 deaths recorded in Arizona. 

Meanwhile, almost 4,000 more confirmed cases are added to the record, as reported on Friday. As a result, the state's total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has now increased to 138,523. 

Nevertheless, the said number of contagions is believed to be quite higher since a lot of people have not gone through testing, and research studies have suggested that people contract the virus even without feeling ill or experiencing any of the symptoms.

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