A February 15 article from National Public Radio stated that nearly one-fifth of the country’s hospitals are experiencing extreme stress from the influx of COVID-19 cases. Although the rates of hospitalization and death from the novel coronavirus appear to be slowing nationally, many healthcare facilities are still overwhelmed and are struggling to accommodate patients.
According to the article, ‘extreme stress’ indicates that at least 60% of ICU beds are occupied by COVID patients. As of February 11, hospitals in Georgia, California and Arizona were experiencing the highest proportional rates of strain.
There are many reasons a healthcare facility or hospital system may find itself overwhelmed or underprepared when responding to this global health crisis. One factor is budget cuts and underfunding. For example, in Texas, the federal funding for the Hospital Preparedness Program had been cut by more than 40% in the years leading up to the pandemic, according to the Texas Tribune. Since Texas relies more heavily on federal funding for public health initiatives than other states do, this caused the Texas healthcare system to be more vulnerable than other states, according to the Tribune.
Another major factor is the testing and reporting of infection control conditions. All hospitals agree to certain standards, but do not always test or meet these standards. For example, testing and balancing the HVAC systems and air circulation in buildings has traditionally been a costly, cumbersome process—and one that only typically audits 15-20% of a given facility.
That’s why Life Balance Technologies developed its signature SāfAir software to help hospitals and healthcare facilities test and monitor HVAC systems. To learn more about this innovative technology, visit our Software page.
Life Balance Technologies helps hospitals and other companies easily analyze air quality conditions and effectively manage their HVAC systems. By streamlining the process for compliance, auditing, and reporting, we help reduce costs and save lives.
