As coronavirus cases rise, Bryan Health is ‘prepared as we’re ever going to be’

Despite still growing cases of COVID-19 being reported in Lincoln and Lancaster County, Bryan Health officials says they're ready to handle them.

Despite still growing cases of COVID-19 being reported in Lincoln and Lancaster County, Bryan Health officials say they remain ready to handle them.

“I think we’re prepared as we’re ever going to be,” said Bryan Medical Center CEO John Woodrich.

As of Monday, Bryan Health had received 737 positive results from 5,536 tests. An additional 252 tests are pending.

With cases in Lancaster County more than doubling over the last 10 days, Bryan officials say they still aren’t surprised by the numbers. What’s important to realize, they said, is that while the number of in-patients and patients on ventilators continues to rise, they haven’t spiked.

“It’s not like you go from eight patients on ventilators to 25 the next day,” Woodrich said.

Bryan reported 25 in-patients on Monday. Of those, 11 are Lancaster County residents, nine were on ventilators and 11 were in intensive care.

Woodrich said the timeline for Lincoln’s peak continues to extend out. Currently, he says, it’s expected around May 16.

Woodrich said he believes the hospital load remains very controlled, and says Bryan ha the capacity to go “a lot higher.”

Bryan Health is planning to launch it’s mobile unit for testing at least twice in Lincoln and Lancaster this week.

Lincoln officials on Monday announced 17 new lab-confirmed cases, bringing the county total to 624.