Birmingham Hospital Leaders: COVID Surge ‘Heartbreaking … And Largely Preventable’
Birmingham’s hospital leaders are raising the alarm about the recent spike in COVID-19 cases.
“We’re feeling the surge and it’s real,” said Dr. Tim Bode, chief medical officer with Ascension St. Vincent’s Hospital.
Bode joined executives from seven local hospitals at a press conference Wednesday. He said St. Vincents is treating close to 100 patients for COVID-19, up 700% in the past three weeks.
Officials with Grandview Medical Center said they have seen a 500% increase in COVID patient volume during the past month.
Numbers reflect an “unprecedented” surge in hospitalizations statewide, which topped more than 1,700 Wednesday afternoon, a 750% increase since early July.
Alabama Department of Public Health
Graph shows statewide COVID-19 hospitalizations since March, 2020.
“The slope of the line, the ramp up of the infections, has just been incredible as compared to last time,” said Dr. Elizabeth Ennis, chief medical officer with Brookwood Baptist Health.
Ennis said Brookwood is diverting resources and space to treat the influx of COVID patients. She said hospitals are already short staffed, with medical providers tired and stressed.
Hospital leaders urged residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19. They said most people hospitalized with the virus are unvaccinated and many are under the age of 60.
“This is absolutely heartbreaking what we’re seeing,” said Dr. Jeremy Rogers, director of clinical services at Grandview Medical Center. “It’s tragic. And unfortunately, it’s largely preventable.”
Scorching Saturdays: The rising heat threat inside football stadiums
Excessive heat and more frequent medical incidents in Southern college football stadiums could be a warning sign for universities across the country.
The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring an Audio Editor
The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring an Audio Editor to join our award-winning team covering important regional stories across Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.
Judge orders new Alabama Senate map after ruling found racial gerrymandering
U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco, appointed by President Donald Trump during his first term, issued the ruling Monday putting a new court-selected map in place for the 2026 and 2030 elections.
Construction on Meta’s largest data center brings 600% crash spike, chaos to rural Louisiana
An investigation from the Gulf States Newsroom found that trucks contracted to work at the Meta facility are causing delays and dangerous roads in Holly Ridge.
Bessemer City Council approves rezoning for a massive data center, dividing a community
After the Bessemer City Council voted 5-2 to rezone nearly 700 acres of agricultural land for the “hyperscale” server farm, a dissenting council member said city officials who signed non-disclosure agreements weren’t being transparent with citizens.
Alabama Public Television meeting draws protesters in Birmingham over discussion of disaffiliating from PBS
Some members of the Alabama Educational Television Commission, which oversees APT, said disaffiliation is needed because the network has to cut costs after the Trump administration eliminated all funding for public media this summer.
