Elmhurst Hospital (Photo: Queens Post)
Jan. 20, 2021 By Michael Dorgan
The number of residents being admitted to Queens hospitals with COVID-19 has steadily increased over the past three months and new data sheds a light on the toll the influx of patients is having on the borough’s hospitals.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services began releasing hospital capacity statistics last month to uncover the pressure COVID-19 is having on public hospitals. Previously, the data was confined to the state level.
- Hospitals are considered to be under “high stress” if the percentage of hospital beds that are occupied by COVID-19 patients is between 10 and 19 percent whereas anything greater than 20 percent is considered “extreme stress,” according to a framework developed by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.
When more than 50 percent of hospital beds are being used by COVID-19 patients, the hospital is considered as being “overloaded,” according to Professor Ali Mokdad, Chief Strategy Officer for Population Health at the University of Washington.
Similarly, hospitals are considered to be under “high stress” if the percentage of ICU beds occupied by COVID-19 patients is between 30 to 59 percent and anything greater than 60 percent is considered “extreme stress.”
The following data was collected on Jan. 8, 2021, and is for a 7-day rolling average for five Queens hospitals; NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst; Flushing Hospital Medical Center; Jamaica Hospital Medical Center; Long Island Jewish Medical Center; and New York-Presbyterian Queens
The data reveals that 4 out 5 hospitals are considered to be under high stress in terms of adult inpatient beds occupied by patients with confirmed and suspected COVID-19.
Likewise, 4 out of 5 hospitals are also considered to be under high or extreme stress in terms of adult ICU beds occupied by COVID-19 or suspected COVID-19 patients.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, located at 79-01 Broadway.
The percentage of adult inpatient beds occupied by patients with confirmed and suspected COVID-19 was 14.24 percent (59.9 beds out of a total of 420.7 beds), considered to be under “high stress.”
The percent of adult ICU beds occupied by COVID-19 or suspected COVID-19 patients was 17.14 percent (8.4 staffed ICU beds out of 49 total staffed ICU beds).
Flushing Hospital Medical Center, located at 4500 Parsons Blvd.
The percentage of adult inpatient beds occupied by patients with confirmed and suspected COVID-19 was 30.53 percent (51.3 beds out of a total of 168 beds), considered to be under “extreme stress.”
The percent of adult ICU beds occupied by COVID-19 or suspected COVID-19 patients was 74.54 percent (16.4 staffed ICU beds out of a total of 22 staffed ICU beds), considered to be under “extreme stress.”
Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, located at 8900 Van Wyck Expy, Richmond Hill.
The percentage of adult inpatient beds occupied by patients with confirmed and suspected COVID-19 was 35.80 percent (103.1 beds out of a total of 288 beds), considered to be under “extreme stress.”
The percent of adult ICU beds occupied by COVID-19 or suspected COVID-19 patients was 71.56 percent (22.9 staffed ICU beds out of a total of 32 staffed ICU beds), considered to be under “extreme stress.”
Long Island Jewish Medical Center, located at 270-05 76th Ave.
The percentage of adult inpatient beds occupied by patients with confirmed and suspected COVID-19 was 29.01 percent (399.3 beds out of a total of 1376 beds), considered to be under “extreme stress.”
The percent of adult ICU beds occupied by COVID-19 or suspected COVID-19 patients was 54.62 percent (65 staffed ICU beds out of a total of 119 staffed ICU beds), considered to be under “high stress.”
New York-Presbyterian Queens, located at 56-45 Main St.
The percentage of adult inpatient beds occupied by patients with confirmed and suspected COVID-19 was 31.07 percent (206.6 beds out of a total of 665 beds), considered to be under “extreme stress.”
The percent of adult ICU beds occupied by COVID-19 or suspected COVID-19 patients was 21.11 percent (20.9 staffed ICU beds out of a total of 99 staffed ICU beds).
The Queens Hospital Center, located at 82-68 164th Street Jamaica
The percentage of adult inpatient beds occupied by patients with confirmed and suspected COVID-19 was 14.52 percent (52 beds out of a total of 358.1 beds), considered to be under “extreme stress.”
The percent of adult ICU beds occupied by COVID-19 or suspected COVID-19 patients was 56.95 percent (13.1 staffed ICU beds out of a total of 23 staffed ICU beds), considered to be under “high stress.”
