ILLINOIS (WAND) - Memorial Health System has announced the creation of a dashboard to track COVID-19 cases at its hospitals.
Leaders said the dashboard will let the public track the number of people hospitalized at Memorial Medical Center, Decatur Memorial Hospital, Passavant Area Hospital, Taylorville Memorial Hospital and Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital. Data will show the number of hospitalized patients in intensive care and how many patients at all Memorial Health System locations, including outpatient clinics, have tested positive for the virus.
MHS said daily updates will be shared on its website and on social media. The dashboard can be found here.
“We are sharing this data with the public to help them understand the severity of the situation, as COVID-19 continues to spread rapidly, and to encourage them to take action to help protect our communities,” said Dr. Raj Govindaiah, senior vice president and chief medical officer for Memorial Health System.
Memorial Health System had 123 people hospitalized with COVID-19 as of noon Tuesday. Tuesday's totals are the highest since the pandemic started.
Memorial officials wanted the public recognize "rapid and large increases" in the number of people who are tested has resulted in a spike in call volumes at the South Sixth Respiratory Clinic and other clinic locations.
“The surge of COVID-19 cases is affecting all clinical locations, not just our hospitals,” said Jay Roszhart, president of the Memorial Health System Ambulatory group. “We urge the public to have patience with our healthcare workers, who are responding as quickly as they can as they triage patients’ needs. You may experience a delay in callbacks, but we assure you, we will get back to you as soon as possible.”
Govindaiah wants the public to not give in to COVID-19 fatigue.
“These are not just statistics,” he said. “Every number represents a family member, a friend, a neighbor. We want the public to understand that the human impact of COVID-19 is very real.
“The surge has hit our community. We need the community’s help to reverse these alarming trends. We need the public to stand with us. Wash your hands, wear a mask, watch your distance and get a flu shot.”
