Yuma Regional Medical Center preparing for COVID-19 holiday surge

News 11's Adonis Albright has details on how the hospital is addressing an anticipated rise in cases

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Medical experts at Yuma Regional Medical Center (YRMC) have long anticipated a holiday surge in COVID-19 cases.

With people expected to gather for New Years' celebrations, January is largely expected to be a tough month ahead for frontline workers.

YRMC is getting additional staffing with various skillsets to meet a wide variety of demands.

"We also have a federal team coming on board, we’re expecting about 40 nurses - probably about 20 ICU and 20 med surge nurses, and this is from a federal strike force team… They’ve been going around where the different potshots are to help with staffing and so forth, and being in Yuma, as you know, it’s the only hospital for 150-180 miles. It’s really crucial that we have that staffing so we can open the beds", said Diane Poirot, the Chief Human Resources Officer for YRMC.

Staffing remains one of the biggest hurdles for hospitals across the state of Arizona, but the hospital is looking to tackle the problem head-on.

In addition to that, YRMC has been working closely with a staffing firm to bring in more than two dozen nurses and respiratory therapists.

Arizona also sent out a request on behalf of Yuma Regional Medical center to seek out more medical staff across other states for temporary assignments at the hospital.

YRMC says it checks in about two times a day to ensure all staffing needs are met and will continue to do so as the pandemic rages on across the desert southwest.