MGH granted unanimous approval to add dozens of inpatient beds
Massachusetts health officials voted on Wednesday to grant Massachusetts General Hospital and Cape Cod Healthcare permission to add dozens of inpatient beds as those hospitals, and others across the state, confront an ongoing capacity problem. MGH originally requested the change in January, at which time officials said the hospital had been operating at what’s termed “Capacity Disaster” status nearly every day since September. That’s when the day starts with more than 45 patients without hospital beds.The capacity problem, hospital officials said, starts after patients are seen in the emergency department. With no inpatient beds available, patients get stuck in hallways, cubicles and any other available space.The Massachusetts Department of Public Health Council voted unanimously to approve the hospital’s request to add 94 beds in a building that’s currently under construction at MGH’s main campus. It will include 40 intensive care beds and 54 medical or surgical beds.The approval is conditional and requires additional reporting from the hospital, including information on how patients are being moved from hospital beds to the next level of care.Also on Wednesday, the council approved Cape Cod Healthcare to add 32 beds. Michael Lauf, President and CEO of Cape Cod Healthcare, said it needs new beds to meet the needs of an aging population. He said most people are admitted from the emergency room within six hours, but wait times can stretch up to 18 hours for some beds. “Taking care of acute patients in the ER is not what it’s designed to do. It’s designed to take care of patients episodically or during life-saving measures, not to treat them for their medical stays,” he said. At MGH, the average wait can stretch as long as nearly 16 hours for a bed, though the hospital said patients sometimes wait for days in the ER. “We are deeply grateful to our partners in state government who recognize, as we do, that we are at a critical moment for patients,” hospital officials said. “The capacity crisis is a national issue.” Katie Murphy, president of the Massachusetts Nurses Association, said they hope the beds do open, but the organization has some worries.”We are just concerned that these beds have to have nurses and health care professionals at the bedside. I mean, the number of beds makes no difference if you don’t have the caregivers there to provide the care,” said Murphy.
Massachusetts health officials voted on Wednesday to grant Massachusetts General Hospital and Cape Cod Healthcare permission to add dozens of inpatient beds as those hospitals, and others across the state, confront an ongoing capacity problem.
MGH originally requested the change in January, at which time officials said the hospital had been operating at what’s termed “Capacity Disaster” status nearly every day since September. That’s when the day starts with more than 45 patients without hospital beds.
The capacity problem, hospital officials said, starts after patients are seen in the emergency department. With no inpatient beds available, patients get stuck in hallways, cubicles and any other available space.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health Council voted unanimously to approve the hospital’s request to add 94 beds in a building that’s currently under construction at MGH’s main campus. It will include 40 intensive care beds and 54 medical or surgical beds.
The approval is conditional and requires additional reporting from the hospital, including information on how patients are being moved from hospital beds to the next level of care.
Also on Wednesday, the council approved Cape Cod Healthcare to add 32 beds.
Michael Lauf, President and CEO of Cape Cod Healthcare, said it needs new beds to meet the needs of an aging population. He said most people are admitted from the emergency room within six hours, but wait times can stretch up to 18 hours for some beds.
“Taking care of acute patients in the ER is not what it’s designed to do. It’s designed to take care of patients episodically or during life-saving measures, not to treat them for their medical stays,” he said.
At MGH, the average wait can stretch as long as nearly 16 hours for a bed, though the hospital said patients sometimes wait for days in the ER.
“We are deeply grateful to our partners in state government who recognize, as we do, that we are at a critical moment for patients,” hospital officials said. “The capacity crisis is a national issue.”
Katie Murphy, president of the Massachusetts Nurses Association, said they hope the beds do open, but the organization has some worries.
“We are just concerned that these beds have to have nurses and health care professionals at the bedside. I mean, the number of beds makes no difference if you don’t have the caregivers there to provide the care,” said Murphy.
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