Hospitalization records:
– First reported COVID-19 hospitalizations: Apr. 13
– Date the state passed 100 COVID-19 patients: Apr. 13
– Date the state passed 1,000 COVID-19 patients: Jun. 2
– Date with the highest patient count: Dec. 13 (3,622 patients, 52 per 100,000 population)
Hospital capacity as of Dec. 13:
– Inpatient beds: 76.7{b5d304c96e94113bdfc523ff4218a1efff4746200bdb9eeb3214a56a1302f2e4} occupied (22.3{b5d304c96e94113bdfc523ff4218a1efff4746200bdb9eeb3214a56a1302f2e4} with COVID-19 patients)
– ICU beds: 71.1{b5d304c96e94113bdfc523ff4218a1efff4746200bdb9eeb3214a56a1302f2e4} occupied (5.7{b5d304c96e94113bdfc523ff4218a1efff4746200bdb9eeb3214a56a1302f2e4} with COVID-19 patients)
Hospital staffing shortages as of Dec. 13:
– Current staffing shortage: 38 hospitals out of 122 (31.1{b5d304c96e94113bdfc523ff4218a1efff4746200bdb9eeb3214a56a1302f2e4})
– Anticipating a shortage in the next week: 42 hospitals (34.4{b5d304c96e94113bdfc523ff4218a1efff4746200bdb9eeb3214a56a1302f2e4})
Banner Health, one of Arizona’s large health systems, cares for about half of the state’s COVID-19 patients, and was preparing to reach its capacity by Dec. 15, and hit 125{b5d304c96e94113bdfc523ff4218a1efff4746200bdb9eeb3214a56a1302f2e4} of its capacity Dec.18. Hospitals are also waiting on grant money to hire more medical staff. In light of rising cases and hospitalizations, University of Arizona’s COVID-19 modeling team sent a memo to the state’s department of health services, recommending officials impose a shelter-in-place order—along with emergency economic relief measures—to limit new cases and ease the burden on the state’s hospitals.
