Hospitals in Central Indiana are a key part of COVID-19 response. Community Health Network has now charted some positive trends.
Community treated its first patient March 6, and it was preparing for COVID-19 for weeks before that. Chief Physician Executive Dr. Ram Yeleti, who also contracted and recovered from the virus in April, says now they are seeing less emergency visits and hospitalizations.
"I think those are stabilizing and the less acute patients are probably not coming in -- is what we’re seeing right now," says Yeleti.
He says its highest percentage of beds with COVID-19 patients was 20 percent, and it is 15 percent now. He says they had similar percentages for ventilators with about 20 percent in use now.
Yeleti says he’s concerned that people aren’t coming in for other needed health care because they are concerned about being exposed to COVID-19.
"What I tell my friends is that it’s actually safer to be in a hospital than a grocery store," says Yeleti.
He says the hospitals enforce extensive sterilization and safety measures.
Yeleti says their hospitals are prepared as areas start to reopen.
"We will see another spike. Will it be a surge? I don’t think so," Yeleti says, "but there will definitely be another spike, probably in the next three to four weeks."
