Colorado Hospital Association Statement on COVID-19 Hospitalizations Data - April 15
GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLO. – April 15, 2020 –
“Colorado Hospital Association and its member hospitals and health systems thank Coloradans for their efforts to comply with the state’s ‘stay at home’ order,” said Darlene Tad-y, MD, CHA vice president of clinical affairs. “Colorado hospitals report early signs of a leveling off of patients being hospitalized with COVID-19.”
As of yesterday, there were 1,215 Coloradans hospitalized with COVID-19 or with COVID-19 symptoms. That number had grown steadily since mid-March, when hospitals began reporting this data to the state, but it has leveled off in the past week. Additionally, earlier this week, Colorado hospitals began collecting and reporting the number of patients discharged, which is also reflected in this data.
“This is critical data that will continue to inform the decisions we are making at the state level for how to best respond to COVID-19,” said Governor Jared Polis. “I applaud the hospitals for disclosing this information. This is very useful data that informs our planning around how many hospital beds are needed and increases our knowledge of the trajectory of the virus in Colorado. The commitment of hospitals to this additional transparency is important now more than ever. We also thank the front-line health care workers, for all their work to protect and save Coloradans throughout this global pandemic. We remain committed to ensuring Coloradans have as much information as possible as we get through this difficult time together.”
As has previously been reported, many COVID-19 patients require a supportive hospital stay, which includes oxygen to breathe, fluids, monitoring and medication administration. Of those patients, a smaller group require critical care during their stay. These patients are critically ill, including multi-system organ failure, and they often require the support of a ventilator to breathe. Thus far, Colorado hospitals have had sufficient ventilators and critical care beds to care for COVID-19 patients. However, hospitals must continue to carefully manage their personal protective equipment (PPE) and some medications, as the supply chain for those materials has been disrupted and is currently unreliable.
“Coloradans are doing an extraordinary job of social distancing, leading to this flattening of our curve,” said Dr. Tad-y. “We urge all Coloradans to continue this important work, just as our health care providers will continue their important work caring for our patients. We’re all in this together and doing our part – and we hope we can continue to report numbers heading in the right direction.”
About Colorado Hospital Association
Colorado Hospital Association (CHA) is the leading voice of Colorado’s hospital and health system community. Representing more than 100 member hospitals and health systems throughout the state, CHA serves as a trusted, credible and reliable resource on health issues, hospital data and trends for its members, media, policymakers and the general public. Through CHA, Colorado’s hospitals and health systems work together in their shared commitment to improve health and health care in Colorado.
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