The WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital is currently caring for 52 Covid patients, which is the highest number since the start of the pandemic. The hospital is already at over 100 percent capacity and the situation is likely to get worse over the next weeks.
Across the Wellspan system over 90 percent of these hospitalized Covid patients are unvaccinated, meaning about 47 of the 52 patients in Gettysburg do not have vaccines.
Stay out of the hospital — get a vaccine. Click here for a list of providers.
“Due to overcrowding, some patients are being triaged in waiting areas as they await hospital beds. We are greatly concerned with the influx of more patients in the coming days and weeks,” said Wellspan Media Relations Manager Ryan Coyle. “These capacity constraints don’t just impact COVID-19 patients, but also anyone else seeking care for urgent issues such as heart attacks or strokes.”
“Patients are being treated in non-traditional areas of the hospital such as pre-operative or post-operative bays, emergency room bays, etc.”, he said.
“Our care teams are tired. They are doing all that they can, but they need everyone to take this seriously so that our hospitals are not overwhelmed more than they already are.”
“We have implemented several protocols to manage the volume and severity of this situation and are currently redeploying resources and delaying non-emergent care across our system of 200+ care locations. We are also postponing certain procedures at many of our facilities to ensure enough space for those seeking emergency care,” said Coyle.
“Our care teams are tired. They are doing all that they can, but they need everyone to take this seriously so that our hospitals are not overwhelmed more than they already are,” said Coyle.
“What is most concerning is that this extreme surge in hospitalizations is preventable if individuals were to get vaccinated, which greatly reduces severe illness that could require hospitalization,” said Coyle.
We urge community members to stay vigilant with safety measures like hand washing, masking and social distancing and to get the COVID-19 vaccine so WellSpan and other healthcare systems can continue to provide care for all patients who need support at this time.
WellSpan Health strongly encourages that everyone who is eligible get vaccinated with one of the three currently authorized COVID-19 vaccines. WellSpan is administering all three vaccines: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.
Charles (Chuck) Stangor is Gettysburg Connection's Owner, Publisher, and Editor in Chief. I would like to hear from you. Please contact me at cstangor@gettysburgconnection.org.
This ISN’T truth. There are vaccinated people getting deathly sick and dying also. And people with already weakened immune systems that CAN’T be vaccinated due to their current health issues, wearing masks religiously, using hand sanitizer and washing their hands religiously, and staying home as much as possible. Everyone should STOP judging and misjudging people. Those people that were vaccinated think they’re safe, yet they’re now carrying around this virus and passing it around. Stop blaming the unvaccinated and consider the truth, they’ve already said these vaccinated guinea pigs can STILL get the virus and die. And just because they’re… Read more »
I would stop recommending Johnson and Johnson vaccines. I believe it is shown to be less effective than Phizer and Moderna vaccines
Early treatment would be key to preventing people from becoming so ill that they need hospitalization. But early, inexpensive, effective treatments are taking a backseat to the push for the sale of inoculation. Patients are dying needlessly.
“Sale of inoculation “??? The vaccination is free and is the “earliest “ treatment available.
I appreciate your effort to get this story out. There had been reports from Geissinger being overwhelmed, and I have been wondering for several days how the Wellspan system was faring. We need to know these things.