Rising COVID Numbers, Staff Shortages Worry Nebraska Hospitals

Nebraska hospital leaders warned Monday that the state's health systems are getting hammered by rising COVID-19 numbers and staffing shortages.

Jeremy Nordquist, president of the Nebraska Hospital Association, said during a Monday press conference that based on projections, the state could see a doubling of hospitalizations for COVID-19 in the next two or three weeks. Meanwhile, health care systems are also facing staffing challenges as workers are sidelined after they or their family members come down with COVID.

"We are facing ... the perfect storm in terms of challenges that hospitals from border to border in Nebraska are facing," Nordquist said.

Nordquist was joined at the press conference by Josie Abboud, president and CEO of Methodist Hospital and Methodist Women's Hospital, and other state health care leaders.

Abboud noted that this week, Methodist Health System had over 900 open positions, and many employees are experiencing "compassion fatigue."

"They're very tired from a physical, emotional, mental health well-being standpoint," she said.

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