Why? Hospitals have always been low on ICU beds. I transported patients for years and was diverted from one hospital to another constantly. Why? No beds available. Why no beds? Hospitals had available empty beds, but no personnel to work them. Why? Because they were cheap and didn't want to pay people for a "maybe" situation. I stood holding the wall of the ER up for countless hours with a patient on a stretcher who thought calling 911 would get them in a bed faster. They were wrong.

Hospitals have ALWAYS tried to skirt the line between prepared and people twiddling their thumbs. That was a constant long before this Coronavirus scam hit. All this in Birmingham area where you can't throw a rock without hitting a hospital.

Once again, the medical community is blowing smoke and those who don't know better are alarmed by it. Don't be fooled by these people. They are part of the problem and they know it, but the politics demand they continue the fear mongering.

Already in talks to set up another 50 beds, too. We had a banner day at 5000+ the other day…never even had a day that high during the original pandemic.

I’m going to be pissed the next time I type covid and it doesn’t show up as democratvirus.

Wtf 🤣🤣🤣 c’mon Skinny…change it back!

And while we are setting up parking decks for overflow, Brookwood medical is advertising on Pandora to come see them. Hospitals in overflow status do not advertise. Hospitals in need of patients advertise. It's. All. Bulldoodoo

Imma listen to folks like this…in the know. And i’ve never even im’d fatty that i know of.

This X10

It’s always been this way. They don’t prepare for what MAY happen. They only look forward by 4-8 hours.

Ive said a hundred times, the best way to stay alive is to stay away from a hospital, or a doctor for that matter. They are killing more people than the nazis did.

I stayed on a bed in the hallway all night several years ago because there were NO beds available...at a Bham ER

We called it "holding up the wall" Stood for hours in the hallway, leaning against the wall, with a patient on a stretcher. Because medics can't tell you no. Had to take patients where they wanted, regardless of the hospital status. If you showed up to a hospital on diversion with a patient, you'd wait for hours. Literally. That's a medic that can't respond to any other emergency for hours. And hospitals were constantly on diversion. No beds, ICU or other wise. And that didn't change for the 25 years I was in the fire service. Yet now, we are supposed to be startled when hospitals say they have no beds? They've never had beds. Ever. Any little thing would cause diversion. I'm not buying the BS. I know better. So does every other paramedic in central Alabama. It's a damned hoax to generate hysteria and fear to control you. I think less of the medical community as a whole now than I do the media. I've long thought the media was the enemy of the American People. I can't count how many nurses I've caught in the lie that they've been overwhelmed with covid patients. It's all bulldoodoo.

I agree FFP. Lies, lies, and more lies from folks we grew up to trust. Not any more.

in my hall incident I drove myself to the ER, South Highlands(UAB) , doc was fitting me in for surgery in the AM. Hospital patient person cam by and apologized for me staying in hall. I told him no prob, just keep the morphine coming and we'd be all good. He did.

My dad was a doctor, a doctors doctor, old school at taking care of patients. I'll bet he is spinning like a top in his grave at what the medical community has fallen to.

No truer words have been spoken. Not only these words but they have created major problems by contracting out for Rn’s as opposed of taking care of their own Rn’s. They are cannibalizing each other at an exorbitant amount of money. Worst part is the travelers are there for the money and the non-travelers are getting a very bad taste in their mouths. Both of affect the quality of care patients receive.

YES!

I have never understood why local hospitals won't just pony up higher wages for those nurses who live locally instead of paying way more for the travel nurses. It simply does not make good financial sense.

I’ve been shouting it since this all came up.I’ve seen some of the lowest numbers EVER in the ER since the inception of covid.

Things are no different than they’ve ever been. The census has went down back at the beginning of covid.

ICU beds haven’t changed. It’s business as usual. Depends on the institution you work at but it’s a cyclical thing. I haven’t seen the monstrosity they everyone keeps taking about.

Cactus, I have been wondering about this. I do some work with a group of which one of the members is in medical administration. She was echoing the same sentiments, everything doom and gloom, how ICUs are overrun, understaffed, burned out, etc. Paraphrasing her sentiments, but it was essentially, “it’s the same as it has always been, just no one gave a damn before it became a political talking point”.

Where do you work?

It’s interesting reading the comments on this post.

This information comes from a buddy of mine who is a solid Christian conservative and just happens to be an ER doctor in one of the largest hospitals in the state. There’s no changing the numbers to fit any agenda, just raw data from actual patient surveys. He states this data lines up with everything they’re seeing in his ER.

Bay Area of California.