For more information about Marshfield Medical Center-Beaver Dam or to set up an interview, contact Dan Baulch at 920-887-4152 or baulch.dan@marshfieldclinic.org.
Marshfield Medical Center-Beaver Dam, our Medical Staff and Advanced Practice Clinicians have worked diligently over the past six months to prepare for a potential COVID-19 surge. In the face of ever-changing challenges, we have continued to provide safe, high-quality care to our communities. Attacking the COVID-19 pandemic on all fronts and utilizing a multi-faceted approach to minimizing the spread is critical to maximizing the wellness of our community and to ensuring we have the capacity to care for all of the health needs of those who entrust us with their care.
We have all watched anxiously as the number of Dodge County COVID cases, hospitalizations and deaths have steadily risen over the past several weeks.
Now is not the time for us to become complacent as the numbers show we are far from being clear of danger. Nobody wants to make the difficult decisions that affect schools and businesses, but we could be at the precipice of such actions if we are not able to turn things around — and quickly.
Over the past two weeks, Marshfield Medical Center-Beaver Dam has seen inpatient census surge to greater than 90% of capacity, and has experienced 180% of the average daily census from just a year earlier. Current trends and future forecasts have led hospital leadership to take proactive measures to align staff and resources with areas of greatest community need. These measures include opening up another inpatient wing to accommodate the growing need for COVID-19 care, and implementing the initial steps of a plan to reduce some elective and non-urgent procedures as necessary to reallocate needed clinical staff.
Expanding inpatient capacity to care for our friends, family and loved ones is essential to meeting our growing need, but so is ensuring we have enough staff to provide the compassionate care we pride ourselves on each and every day. Doing your part to reduce the spread of COVID-19 can lower hospitalizations AND minimize the number of hospital staff forced to miss shifts serving those in need.
To help meet this challenge, we must work together as a community to take the steps we know are successful in combating COVID-19. We stand with our public health officials in their evidence-based efforts to keep our communities safe. Following the guidance of public health agencies by wearing a face covering, practicing social distancing, washing your hands, avoiding high-risk situations and staying home while sick, can all make a significant difference. Masking in particular has been proven to be a key element in source control as it reduces the spray of respiratory droplets from entering the air or on to other people. Evidence for mask effectiveness can be found here. Tips on wearing disposable masks can be found here while helpful information on cloth masks can be found here.
We have the power to turn this around, but we need everyone to take the current state of the pandemic seriously. We are all in this together, and together we can protect ourselves, our families and our neighbors.
Signed,
Dr. Jamie Deering, Vice President of Medical Affairs, Marshfield Medical Center-Beaver Dam
Dr. Gerard Dynkowski, Marshfield Medical Center-Beaver Dam Chief of Staff
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