Surgical units at the Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital are being converted to a dedicated COVID-19 unit. This is in anticipation for an increase in patients.
On March 25, the Henry Ford Health System announced the change.
“Our footprint with inpatient and outpatient facilities has given us the flexibility to take these aggressive steps to prepare us for a significant increase of patients in the days and weeks ahead,” said Bob Riney, president of Healthcare Operations and chief operating officer. “We’re in uncharted territory with this pandemic and the challenges it is presenting to hospitals and health systems in this country and worldwide. We’re planning for the worst and doing everything possible to ensure the safety of our patients and our team members and sustain the coordination of care,” he told the News Herald.
As of April 10, Michigan ranked third nationwide for documented cases, and Wayne County had 4,321 cases and 282 deaths.
The number of intensive care beds at Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital went from 18 to 32. Semiprivate rooms can be converted into single private rooms if needed. There are 19 pre-op intensive care rooms that can be converted, as well as a nine-bed pain unit.
Meanwhile, local businesses have taken the initiative to help overtaxed health care workers during this time. Clothing manufacturers and auto factories have switched gears and are now using their resources to make masks, according to The Detroit News.
A Saginaw Distillery donated 270 gallons of 190-proof alcohol to help making hand sanitizer, according to MLive.
The Mackinac Center for Public Policy lists more local efforts on its website.
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