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43 Florida Hospitals Have Zero ICU Capacity, Per State Metrics, But Hospitals Say They Have Capacity

Orange County's Dr. Raul Pino and Mayor Jerry Demings brief the media Monday as the county's cases and positivity rate continue to climb. Photo: Orange County
Orange County's Dr. Raul Pino and Mayor Jerry Demings brief the media Monday as the county's cases and positivity rate continue to climb. Photo: Orange County

Currently, 43 hospitals in Florida have zero beds available in the intensive care unit, including five hospitals in Orange and Osceola counties.

Florida added 7,361  confirmed COVID-19 cases on Monday alone. But that’s just a snapshot in time. Statewide, hospitalizations for COVID-19 are also increasing and intensive care beds are filling up.

WMFE Health Reporter Abe Aboraya spoke with All Things Considered Host Nicole Darden Creston.

ABORAYA: It’s not good news. Florida added 60,562 cases in the last week. Another way to look at it - 51 percent of all of Florida’s positive cases have been confirmed in the last two weeks alone, or 109,333 total cases in two weeks.

Florida’s been averaging 8,587 cases per day for the last two weeks - the worst average in the country. Per capita, we’re seeing 40 new cases for every 100,000, the second worst rate in the country, behind only Arizona.

By the metrics of the Harvard Global Health Institute, more than half of all Florida counties have virus levels at a point meaning “uncontrolled spread.” That institute advises policy makers that at this level, stay-at-home orders or advisories will be needed to get things under control

CRESTON: Wow, that is stunning. What do we know about the people who are getting COVID-19? On the bright side, the virus seems to be spreading in a younger age group, right?

ABORAYA: Yes. Right now, at least in Orange and Seminole counties, much of the spread has been traced back to bars reopening - so it is naturally running in a lower age-range. But it is expected to trend upward, especially with the level of asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic spread. The median age in Florida has been inching up and is now 40 years old, up from 33 two weeks ago. And while it is true that 85 percent of deaths are in people over the age of 65, that does not mean there are zero deaths in the younger age ranges.

Just look at the age bracket we’re seeing with the most cases right now, 35 to 44. There have been about 34,076 cases in this group, and about 1 in 10 of those need to be hospitalized. Out of the 1,518 hospitalized, about 5 percent of them have died. Sure, the raw number is 70 deaths, which is low, but for that age bracket, that percent of the people hospitalized who are dying is a scary number for people working in health care.

CRESTON: OK, let’s stay with the hospital topic for a moment. Are we coming to a point where hospitals could be overwhelmed?

ABORAYA: That is absolutely the key area to watch. Right now in Florida, 43 hospitals have zero beds available in the intensive care unit. That includes five hospitals in Orange and Osceola counties.

The hospital with the most ICU patients and zero capacity in Central Florida is Orlando Regional Medical Center in downtown Orlando. According to figures reported to the Agency for Health Care Administration, ORMC has 65 patients in the ICU - and no beds available.

Now that sounds scary. But in reality, what we’re seeing is more of a staffing issue than a lack of raw beds and ventilators. Orlando Health says that as the number of patients dropped in March, it consolidated and reduced the number of ICU beds that were staffed and in operation. In a statement, Orlando Health says it has 200 ICU beds available - and can surge up to 500 ICU beds if needed.

“We are carefully monitoring the increases in patient volumes," Orlando Health officials wrote in a statement. "If the need for additional beds grows, Orlando Health will re-open units and make other necessary adjustments in order to meet the needs of the community.”

In a press conference this week, Dr. Raul Pino said the total number of people hospitalized in Orange County has more than doubled in the last two weeks, from 164 patients two weeks ago to 356 now. The number of ICU patients has also nearly doubled, with 74 ICU patients now.

“I know we always have a concern about beds and what is available in the county for residents,” Pino said. “Although we have seen an increase in the number of hospitalizations, the systems are reporting that they are not concerned about the need for a surge yet as a system. It could be that a hospital has more cases than another and things have to be reshuffled, readjust.”

Now, to be clear, Orange County and others say we have not gotten to a point where patients are being diverted from any of the hospital systems.

CRESTON: So looking forward - what can we expect?

ABORAYA: Until the numbers start letting up, we should expect to see an increase in the number of hospitalizations - and eventually, an increase in the number of deaths. Both of those are lagging indicators. Unfortunately, without more mitigation efforts- like mask mandates or stay at home orders, things are likely to get worse before they get better.

The chart below is a static chart from data updated early in the morning July 7th, and will not update in real time. For the most recent information, visit the Agency for Health Care Administration's site.

CountyFile NumberProvider NameAdult ICU CensusAvailable Adult ICUAvailable Adult ICU%Total Adult ICU Capacity
BROWARD100086BROWARD HEALTH NORTH3100.00%31
BROWARD100230MEMORIAL HOSPITAL PEMBROKE1400.00%14
CHARLOTTE100047BAYFRONT HEALTH PUNTA GORDA1200.00%12
CITRUS100249BAYFRONT HEALTH SEVEN RIVERS1100.00%11
CLAY23960117ASCENSION ST VINCENT'S CLAY COUNTY800.00%8
CLAY100016KINDRED HOSPITAL-NORTH FLORIDA500.00%5
COLUMBIA100156LAKE CITY MEDICAL CENTER2100.00%21
ESCAMBIA23960076SELECT SPECIALTY HOSPITAL PENSACOLA600.00%6
HIGHLANDS100109ADVENTHEALTH SEBRING1000.00%10
HILLSBOROUGH100173ADVENTHEALTH TAMPA3700.00%37
HILLSBOROUGH23960105ST JOSEPHS HOSPITAL SOUTH2300.00%23
HILLSBOROUGH100206MEMORIAL HOSPITAL OF TAMPA1200.00%12
HILLSBOROUGH100259SOUTH BAY HOSPITAL1200.00%12
HILLSBOROUGH100143KINDRED HOSPITAL-CENTRAL TAMPA600.00%6
HILLSBOROUGH100115KINDRED HOSPITAL-BAY AREA-TAMPA400.00%4
LEE100244CAPE CORAL HOSPITAL2200.00%22
LEE100107LEHIGH REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER700.00%7
LEON23960059SELECT SPECIALTY HOSPITAL - TALLAHASSEE600.00%6
MARION23960039WEST MARION COMMUNITY HOSPITAL1500.00%15
MIAMI-DADE100029NORTH SHORE MEDICAL CENTER4800.00%48
MIAMI-DADE100154SOUTH MIAMI HOSPITAL2800.00%28
MIAMI-DADE100020DOCTORS HOSPITAL1800.00%18
MIAMI-DADE100165WESTCHESTER GENERAL HOSPITAL700.00%7
MIAMI-DADE23960028SELECT SPECIALTY HOSPITAL-MIAMI500.00%5
OKALOOSA100223FORT WALTON BEACH MEDICAL CENTER2600.00%26
ORANGE100006ORLANDO HEALTH ORLANDO REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER6500.00%65
ORANGE100162ADVENTHEALTH WINTER PARK1000.00%10
ORANGE120002ORLANDO HEALTH DR P PHILLIPS HOSPITAL900.00%9
OSCEOLA100089ADVENTHEALTH KISSIMMEE1800.00%18
OSCEOLA23960111POINCIANA MEDICAL CENTER600.00%6
PALM BEACH100234JFK MEDICAL CENTER NORTH CAMPUS1000.00%10
PALM BEACH100130LAKESIDE MEDICAL CENTER600.00%6
PINELLAS100127MORTON PLANT HOSPITAL5900.00%59
PINELLAS100238NORTHSIDE HOSPITAL3500.00%35
PINELLAS100043MEASE DUNEDIN HOSPITAL2000.00%20
PINELLAS100055ADVENTHEALTH NORTH PINELLAS1200.00%12
PINELLAS100180ST PETERSBURG GENERAL HOSPITAL1100.00%11
POLK100157LAKELAND REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER7600.00%76
POLK100052WINTER HAVEN HOSPITAL4000.00%40
POLK100121BARTOW REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER1300.00%13
SARASOTA100166DOCTORS HOSPITAL OF SARASOTA1400.00%14
SUMTER23960086SELECT SPECIALTY HOSPITAL-THE VILLAGES INC800.00%8
VOLUSIA100045ADVENTHEALTH DELAND1800.00%18