Banner Health is voicing concern over a growing number of COVID-19 patients needing treatment in its Arizona facilities.
On Monday, Banner said they have seen a "steady climb" of COVID-19 cases over the last two weeks, according to their posts on Twitter. They say with that rise in cases, came a rise in Banner intensive care unit patients requiring the use of a ventilator.
Banner, which is the state's largest healthcare delivery system, reported last week that its ICUs were approaching 100% capacity.
Within less than a month, Banner says the number of patients on ventilators has quadrupled. They've also reached capacity for patients receiving a special oxygenation treatment that showed promise in the past few months.
Our ICUs are very busy caring for the sickest of the sick who are battling COVID-19. Since May 15, ventilated COVID-19 patients have quadrupled. Banner Health also recently reached capacity for patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment. (2/3)
— Banner Health (@BannerHealth) June 8, 2020
The Arizona Department of Health Services director has also put other healthcare facilities on alert, sending out a letter over the weekend that told hospitals in our state to "fully activate" their facility emergency plans.
In the last week, Arizona has seen multiple days of record-setting increases in confirmed COVID-19 cases.
According to health officials, more than 75% of Arizona's ICU beds are in use right now.
