Last winter, Kentucky hospitals saw a surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations, creating concerns about having enough room.
During the winter, hospitalizations usually increase. Deb Campbell with the Kentucky Hospital Association said that’s when respiratory illness and the flu show up.
Campbell said COVID-19 surges have taught hospitals how to address capacity issues.
“Really, honestly, an hour's notice, we can pull together hospitals from each of the regions to talk about their capacity, whether someone needs help from someone else locally, whether there are supply issues," she said. "Anything that the hospitals are saying is a concern for them can be put to these regional groups.”
Campbell said these plans already in place help hospitals communicate about any issues. The plans will also be used if and when the omicron variant shows up in Kentucky.
