San Mateo County Invests $4.5M To Bolster ICU Staffing

REDWOOD CITY, CA — To increase staffing in intensive care units amid the state's steepest surge of coronavirus cases yet, San Mateo County invested $4.5 million into Dignity Health's Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City. The new partnership will provide up to 10 ICU beds.

The partnership with Dignity Health and AMI Expeditionary Healthcare will increase staffing for at least 30 days, according to a Monday release.

"We’re fortunate to be able to connect resources to key partners to support our local community and our neighbors during this crisis," said County Manager Mike Callagy in a Monday statement.

San Mateo County, along with the rest of the Bay Area, saw its ICU capacity sink to a new low last week, triggering Gov. Gavin Newsom's Regional Stay-At-Home order on Dec. 16.

The order will remain for at least three weeks, or until the Bay Area region can get its ICU capacity back to 15 percent. On Sunday, the state reported 12.4 percent capacity for the Bay Area.

"When ICU capacity drops below 15 percent, every staffed ICU bed counts, especially for each individual who needs care," Travis Kusman wrote in a statement. Kusman is the Emergency Medical Services director for San Mateo County, and also serves as the Regional Disaster Medical Health Coordinator.

In a small glimmer of hope amid the pandemic's latest surge, the first health care worker in the county received her coronavirus vaccine Dec. 18.

Dr. Suja Georgie, an internal medicine specialist at San Mateo Meteo Medical Center was filmed getting her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

"[Now] I feel more comfortable taking care of my patients, a job that I love," Georgie said after receiving her dosage.

Vaccines are being distributed in San Mateo County! https://t.co/BberxtO7MD
— San Mateo County Health (@SMCHealth) December 19, 2020

San Mateo County had 133 patients hospitalized for coronavirus as of Sunday, a number which has been gradually increasing throughout December.

The county also reported 21,160 total reported cases Sunday and that seven ICU beds were available as well as 88 available surge beds open.

"I’m sure a lot of you are tired: tired of shutdowns, tired of staying away from friends and family, tired of seeing perhaps your business and businesses you love struggle,” Callagy said last week of the newly issued stay-at-home order. "But the only way we are going to get through these next few months is by relying on each other more than ever. Let’s all pledge to do whatever we can to stay safe, stay well and stay positive."

Click the drop-down menu in the widget below to see hospital data in your county:

(Widget courtesy of CalMatters)