Breathing through the peak: Inside YRMC’s COVID-19 unit
How the only hospital in Yuma is handling the swiftly inclining number of COVID-19 patients
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY)- Coronavirus cases are up 89% in Arizona since Memorial Day, with an alarming number in Yuma County.
Health officials are now considering possible state closures again as data predicts a sharp increase of infections before we hit a plateau.
Yuma County, separated from California by the Colorado River and right up against the U.S.-Mexico border; two places where COVID-19 cases are rapidly growing.
Though Yuma is nestled on the desert’s horizon, the heat isn’t slowing the virus.
It took nearly two months for the virus to reach 1,000 cases in Yuma County.
But, within the first week of June, that number more than doubled to more than 2,000 cases.
For a population of over 200,000, there’s only one privately-owned hospital in the entire county, and it’s treating its fair share of patients.
Elizabeth Lara, Admin Director of Adult Acute Care at Yuma Regional Medical (YRMC), said, “In the beginning, it was minimal admissions, right now we’re seeing a high rate.”
YRMC's Chief Nursing Officer, Deborah Aders, also confirmed, “We are seeing an increase in COVID patients. We have approximately 80 patients in house.”
Lara added, “We’re seeing that people are being tested and we’re seeing the results of it.”
County health officials believe these first weeks of June will be the peak.
When Arizona's stay at home order expired on May 15, some debated it was too soon to reopen.
Now, Yuma County’s infections have spiked.
By June 6, the state’s health director alerted Arizona hospitals to prepare for crisis care.
Aders said, “[YRMC] has a second unit we opened up this week that can expand up to 50 patients, if necessary.”
YRMC has refuted claims of being at capacity.
Judy Romero has worked the COVID unit as a registered nurse at YRMC for six weeks.
Romero said, “I just love nursing. It’s my passion. This is something I think nobody was prepared for. We went in not knowing what this was going to be like. We started out slow with about 10 beds,10 patients, and we’ve just increased pretty rapidly.”
To meet the influx of patients, the hospital deployed its second string of nurses from a list of staff on standby in case of a surge.
Nurses like Romero can treat 5 to 6 COVID-19 patients at a time.
News 11: “What’s been the most amount of patients you’ve had in the unit at a time?”
Romero: “Here in this unit we’ve had up to 42 patients.”
News 11: “Is it overwhelming?”
Romero: “It can be depending on how sick they are.”
News 11: “How has treating COVID-19 patients differed from any other virus or disease you’ve encountered?”
Romero: “They can decline quickly. Their respiration and their breathing…that can go a lot quicker than any other illness I’ve seen. Very fast. From one minute to another.”
News 11: “What are some of the telling factors that a patient’s condition is declining or improving?”
Romero: “Their breathing…usually.”
Treatment varies from patient to patient.
Some are stabilized by simply treating non-severe symptoms.
But Romero says the most critical patients require a higher concentration of oxygen while on a ventilator.
Romero: "It's tough. There are some days you are mentally and physically exhausted when you leave the floor. Especially when you see a patient is very stable one day and a couple of minutes later they’re struggling to breathe. Fear, sadness, you get attached to patients especially if you work here 3-4 days in a row. They tell you, they hold your hands and say I feel horrible. Am I going to die? That’s mainly the main question that they have. Am I going to make it through this today? And you have to be there comforting them. Telling them, it’s going to be ok, even if you don’t know if it’s going to be ok.”
Hospital data shows from March 1 to June 8, out of more than 300 patients admitted into the COVID unit at YRMC, close to 10% died in the hospital.
In that same time frame, over 60% of patients have recovered.
One of the recovered, 57-year-old Eddie Hernandez.
YRMC celebrates 57-year-old Eddie Hernandez's discharge
He's finally back in his wife’s arms after five breathless weeks in the ICU battling COVID-19.
Many irreplaceable moments spent tethered to a ventilator, including watching his daughter's wedding over the phone.
As he was discharged from the hospital, Eddie said, “I really can’t remember a lot of it. I’m glad to be alive though.”
His wife, Edna, also tested positive but her symptoms were less severe.
She’s calling her husband’s recovery a miracle.
"He was so close to death. The doctor called me and told me that they didn’t think that he would make it through the night and that they were going to go hour by hour. I just never quit praying and it just wasn’t his time because he’s here,” Edna said.
Still regaining his strength, Eddie is being discharged from the hospital to a rehab facility in Mesa, Arizona.
“Just never lose hope or faith not until that last breath is gone because there's always hope as long as there’s breath,” said Edna.
