Northern MN Health Care Systems Discuss COVID-19 Developments

Four major health care systems in northern Minnesota held a virtual news conference this afternoon to discuss the latest COVID-19 developments in their communities.

Representatives from those systems, which included Essentia Health and Grand Itasca Clinic, voiced their concerns about the continuing COVID-19 cases. With hospitals beds reaching capacity and the delta variant spreading across the state, the biggest plea from those on the call was to consider getting vaccinated.

“Hospitals across our region are again very close to capacity. When hospital capacity becomes tight like this, our ability to care for patients with any kind of health problem is put at risk,” said Dr. Andrea Boehland, Essentia Health Emergency Department Doctor. “Across all of Essentia, we have 53 patients hospitalized with severe COVID – 53. That’s 10 more than we had yesterday.”

“There have been times this summer when we have had nurses working 16 hour shifts, or 12 hour shifts for 6 days in a row or more. As a smaller hospital, it’s important that we all come together to make sure our patients get the care that they need,” pleaded Emily Meyer, a registered nurse with Grand Itasca Clinic and Hospital.

As of Monday, the Minnesota Department of Health reported that 71.7% of Minnesotans 16 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.