IDPH Adjusts Method For Tracking Available Hospital Beds

Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, delivers the latest numbers for the COVID-19 pandemic during Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s daily press briefing on COVID-19 in his office at the Illinois State Capitol, Thursday, May 21, 2020, in Springfield, Ill. (Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP, Pool)

The Illinois Department Public Health is adjusting its method for tracking available hospital beds. Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said yesterday that the department wants to ensure the count of how many patients could be cared for in hospitals is accurate. The new method takes staffing levels into account when releasing numbers showing how many hospital beds are available in the state. The COVID-19 surge has led to staffing shortages that affect a facility’s ability to utilize all the open beds in the hospital.