August 19, 2021 2:00 p.m. 

Douglas County Commissioners, County Public Health Officer Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer, and staff with the Douglas Public Health Network are sharing a message issued Thursday afternoon by CHI Mercy Health:

“This moment we pause.

A COVID positive patient was in our Emergency Department, within our four walls, waiting for an open Intensive Care Unit bed to receive life-saving care.

It had been several hours because other COVID positive patients had filled those beds.

Even after expanding ICU care onto other floors, there weren’t any beds available for this patient.

We didn’t have enough.

This patient died in the Emergency Department waiting for an Intensive Care Unit bed.

This is very real to our physicians, clinicians, housekeepers and each member of our Mercy family.

Today, we paused, we reset and we tried to move forward mentally and physically for our own well-being and serving our most vulnerable, sick patients within our four walls.

We need your help, grace and kindness”

-CHI Mercy Health Staff

County officials concluded their release by saying, “Let’s work together to do everything we can to stop the spread of this virus, so we can protect our community from continued and prolonged grief”.