CONWAY — Memorial Hospital officials last Friday presented an update of its “surge plan” as numbers of COVID-19 patients continue to rise around the region, along with a surge of non-COVID patients that is straining hospital resources.
Memorial’s surge plan was created in spring of 2020 and included how the hospital would create beds, find supplies and staff various departments if it had to handle more than the 25 inpatients its facility is designed for.
kAm|6>@C:2=’D FA52E6 H2D AC6D6?E65 2E 2 +@@> >66E:?8 ;@:?65 3J >@C6 E92? `__ A6@A=6[ :?4=F5:?8 9@DA:E2= 6>A=@J66D[ 3@2C5 >6>36CD[ r2CC@== r@F?EJ r@2=:E:@? 7@C !F3=:4 w62=E9 >6>36CD[ D49@@= @77:4:2=D 2?5 @E96CD]k^Am
kAm|6>@C:2= !C6D:56?E pCE |2E9:D6? D2:5i “%96 C62= 5:776C6?46 7C@> D:I >@?E9D 28@[ `g >@?E9D 28@[ :D >@DE @7 E9@D6 :?A2E:6?ED 2C6 24EF2==J ?@?\r~'xs] (6 92G6 2 =@E @7 D:4< A2E:6?ED C:89E ?@H] p?5 E96 4@?46C? :D :7 H6 4@?E:?F6 E@ ?@E 86E G244:?2E65[ :7 A6@A=6 4@?E:?F6 E@ ?@E >2D< 2?5 5@ 2== E96 E9:?8D E92E H6 <?@H H6 D9@F=5 5@[ H:== E96C6 364@>6 >@C6 r~'xs A2E:6?ED E92E H6 ;FDE 5@?’E 92G6 365D 7@Cn p?5 D@ E92E’D H9J H6’C6 96C6 E@52J]”k^Am
kAmt>6C86?4J !C6A2C65?6DD r@@C5:?2E@C (:== ~H6? D2:5[ “(6 2C6 AC6A2C:?8 7@C EH@ 5:776C6?E EJA6D @7 DFC86D ?@H] (6 2C6 AC6A2C:?8 7@C E96 G@=F>6 DFC86 W:? r~'xs\`h 42D6DX]” qFE[ 96 D2:5[ E96J 2=D@ 2C6 92G:?8 EC@F3=6 7:?5:?8 365D 6=D6H96C6 7@C A2E:6?ED H9@ ?665 DA64:2=:K65 EC62E>6?E]k^Am
kAm|2E9:D6? D2:5 @7 EH@ A2E:6?ED E96 9@DA:E2= 925 5:77:4F=EJ 7:?5:?8 365D 7@C[ @?6 H2D 6G6?EF2==J D6?E E@ 2 9@DA:E2= :? }6H *@C< 2?5 E96 @E96C E@ 2 9@DA:E2= :? r@??64E:4FE — 27E6C 42==:?8 `e 9@DA:E2=D 7@C 96=A]k^Am
kAm“(6 4@F=5?’E 7:?5 365D 2?JH96C6 :? }6H w2>AD9:C6[ :? E96 |2:?6w62=E9 DJDE6>[ :? @FC ?@C>2= 9@DA:E2=D E92E 2C6 E6CE:2CJ 42C6 9@DA:E2=D[” |2E9:D6? D2:5]k^Am
kAmu@C 2E =62DE E96 A2DE J62C[ |2E9:D6? D2:5[ “%96 9@DA:E2=’D 366? 3FDJ[ 2?5 H6 C62==J 92G6 ?@E D=@H65 5@H?[” 255:?8 E92E E96 =6G6= @7 :==?6DD 92D 2=D@ 366? :?4C62D:?8]k^Am
kAm%96 DFC86 A=2? :D 2? FA52E6 @7 E96 A=2?D E96 9@DA:E2= 56G6=@A65 :? E96 DAC:?8 @7 a_a_ 5FC:?8 E96 62C=J 52JD @7 E96 r~'xs\`h A2?56>:4] pE E92E E:>6[ E96 9@DA:E2= D9FE 5@H? >@DE @7 :ED C@FE:?6 D6CG:46D :? @C56C E@ 56G@E6 2== :ED C6D@FC46D E@ AC6A2C:?8 7@C 2 DFC86 :? r~'xs A2E:6?ED]k^Am
kAm%9:D E:>6[ |6>@C:2= 5@6D ?@E :?E6?5 E@ D9FE 5@H? 2?J D6CG:46D F?E:= ?646DD2CJ 2?5 E96? @?=J 2D =@?8 2D ?66565 E@ 4@A6 H:E9 2 D:EF2E:@?]k^Am
kAm~?6 C62D@? 7@C E96 :?4C62D:?8 =6G6= @7 :==?6DD >2J 36 E96 724E E92E >2?J A6@A=6 AFE @77 C@FE:?6 42C6 @G6C E96 A2DE >@?E9D[ 2?5 D@>6 5:5 ?@E C6EFC? E@ D66:?8 AC:>2CJ 42C6 5@4E@CD H96? E9@D6 D6CG:46D C6@A6?65]k^Am
kAm|2E9:D6? D2:5 >2?J 962=E9 42C6 AC@G:56CD 92G6 2D<65 9:> ?@E E@ D9FE 5@H? AC:>2CJ 42C6 :7 2E 2== A@DD:3=6 3642FD6 E96J 36=:6G6 E92E 27764E65 E96 962=E9 @7 E96:C A2E:6?ED]k^Am
kAm~H6? D2:5 E92E :D H9J E96 9@DA:E2= 92D :?EC@5F465 E96 :562 @7 “5:2=:?8 324<” D6CG:46D :?DE625 @7 D9FEE:?8 5@H?] “(6’G6 6IA2?565 @FE @? E92E[ 6G6? >@C6[ E@ D2J H6 >2J 5:2= 324< 2 D6CG:46 @C 2? 2C62 7@C 2 52J E@ 7C66 FA 2 46CE2:? C6D@FC46 — H96E96C :E’D 2 AC@G:56C[ H96E96C :E’D 2 ?FCD6[ E@ 36DE 42C6 7@C D@>63@5J E92E H6 92G6 E@ <66A[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm“(:E9 E96 4=:?:42= :?AFE[ 7C@> <6J 2C62D @7 E96 9@DA:E2=[ H6 H:== D9FE 5@H? :7 H6 92G6 E@[” |2E9:D6? D2:5] “qFE :E 5@6D?’E >62? :E’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 7@C EH@ >@?E9D =:<6 H6 5:5 62C=J @?] xE 4@F=5 36 7@C 2 4@FA=6 @7 52JD[ 2?5 E96? H6 H6C6 5@:?8 36EE6C] p?5 E96? H6 EFC? E96 =:89ED 324< @? :? E92E 2C62 282:?[ 2?5 DE2CE D66:?8 A2E:6?ED]”k^Am
kAmp?@E96C E9:?8 E92E :D 5:776C6?E 7C@> E96 @=5 A=2? :D DA246 E92E H2D E96? 2G2:=23=6 7@C 2? @G6C7=@H @7 A2E:6?ED :D ?@H 36:?8 FD65 7@C @E96C E9:?8D]k^Am
kAmu@C :?DE2?46[ @?6 2C62 56D:8?2E65 7@C @G6C7=@H :D 364@>:?8 2? @CE9@A65:4 46?E6C]k^Am
kAm“%96 @E96C 3:8 E9:?8 :D E96 =23@C A@@=] (96? H6 D9FE 5@H? E96 7:CDE E:>6[ H6 D9FE 5@H? D6CG:46D[ 2?5 E92E 7C665 FA 2 =@E @7 A6@A=6 WE@ 42C6 7@C r~'xs A2E:6?EDX] (6 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 4@?E:?F6 E@ CF? D6CG:46D] $@ E92E =23@C A@@= :D ?@E 2D C@3FDE 2D :E H2D 367@C6] $@ H6 2C6 H@C<:?8 24E:G6=J @? E92E]”k^Am
kAmw6 H6?E @? E@ D2Ji “x? @FC AC6G:@FD A=2?[ H6 925 2=E6C?2E:G6 42C6 D:E6D @77\D:E6[ H6 H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ =@@< 2E E9@D6 2D @AE:@?D] qFE H6’G6 2=D@ 925 2 =@E @7 5:D4FDD:@?D H:E9 E96 DE2E6 2?5 :?E6C?2==J 23@FE AC@D 2?5 4@?D @7 >@G:?8 @FC @A6C2E:@?D @77\D:E6] p?5 >2J36 <66A:?8 E9:?8D :?E6C?2==J ]]] :D 2 36EE6C @AE:@?]”k^Am
kAm~?6 4@>>F?:EJ >6>36C 2D<65 23@FE E96 ?F>36C @7 r~'xs A2E:6?ED 2?5 E96:C =6G6=D @7 D:4<?6DD]k^Am
kAm“(6 2C6 DE2CE:?8 E@ D66 >@C6 2?5 >@C6 r~'xs A2E:6?ED[ 2?5 H6’G6 925 r~'xs A2E:6?ED 2D :?A2E:6?ED 96C6[” ~H6? D2:5]k^Am
kAm“qFE x H@F=5 D2J 2 9F86 2>@F?E :D ;FDE ?@?\r~'xs] p?5 ?@H H:E9 E96 r~'xs ?F>36C DFC8:?8[ E96 EH@ 4@==:5:?8 :D H92E H6’C6 C62==J 4@?46C?65 23@FE 2?5 H92E’D D@CE @7 DA2C<65 FD E@ 86E 324< :?E@ 2 r@56 (9:E6 2?5 DE2CE C6=@@<:?8 2E E92E]”k^Am
kAmr@56 (9:E6 >62?D E96 9@DA:E2= :D @A6C2E:?8 “@FED:56 @7 ?@C>2= @A6C2E:@?D” 2?5 E96 9@DA:E2= >2J 92G6 E@ AC@G:56 >@C6 DA64:2=:K65 42C6 2?5 42C6 7@C >@C6 A2E:6?ED E92? ?@C>2=]k^Am
kAm%96 DFC86 A=2? :D 5:G:565 :?E@ A92D6D 32D65 @? :?4C62D:?8 ?F>36CD @7 A2E:6?ED[ 3@E9 r~'xs 2?5 ?@?\r~'xs]k^Am
kAm~H6? D2:5 96 4@F=5 ?@E D2J AC64:D6=J H92E ?F>36C @7 A2E:6?ED H@F=5 EC:886C 2 >@G6 E@ 2 9:896C A92D6 3642FD6 E92E 56A6?5D @? E96 ?665D @7 E9@D6 A2E:6?ED]k^Am
kAm~H6? D2:5 `d A2E:6?ED H9@ 42? H2=< 2?5 E2=< “2C6 G6CJ 5:776C6?E 7C@> `d :?EF32E65 A2E:6?ED[ 2?5 D@ H6 42?’E AFE 2 ?F>36C @? :E[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm“pE E96 6?5 @7 E9:D[ x 9@A6 x 8@ E@ 2 3@2C5 >66E:?8 2?5 :7 >J 3@2C5 >6>36CD D2J[ ‘pCE[ J@F @G6C\A=2??65[’ — H9:49 E96J H@?’E 3642FD6 E96J’C6 2== D>2CE A6@A=6 — 3FE :7 E96J D2J E92E[ E96? >J 2?DH6C H@F=5 36[ ‘|:DD:@? 244@>A=:D965] x 5:5 >J ;@3[’” |2E9:D6? D2:5]k^Am

(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.