Community actions must change now to stop the ‘tidal wave’ of COVID-19 patients pouring into Fox Valley hospitals, health care leaders say
Bed capacity in Fox Valley hospitals is now seriously threatened by the rapid spread of COVID-19 in the region, health care leaders said Thursday.
![a sign on the side of the street: ThedaCare leaders hosted a conversation with school, business and public health stakeholders, as well as representatives from Ascension Wisconsin's Appleton hospital, on Thursday to discuss the rapid rise of COVID-19 patients in hospitals.](https://www.msn.com/{"default":{"load":"default","w":"80","h":"49","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19C5wt.img?h=490&w=799&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"default","w":"62","h":"38","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19C5wt.img?h=383&w=624&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"default","w":"62","h":"38","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19C5wt.img?h=383&w=624&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f"}})
© Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
ThedaCare leaders hosted a conversation with school, business and public health stakeholders, as well as representatives from Ascension Wisconsin’s Appleton hospital, on Thursday to discuss the rapid rise of COVID-19 patients in hospitals.
The speed of the spread of the virus could more than double the number of needed hospital beds by the end of this month, ThedaCare senior innovation executive Frank Mellon told community stakeholders in a virtual meeting.
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Models initially projected a peak of 114 beds needed to care for COVID-19 patients in the region, Mellon said. Now, they’ll need close to 180 — and could need a hundred more if transmission rates keep rising.
That possibility doesn’t just endanger COVID-19 patients, ThedaCare President and CEO Dr.