Children’s Hospital Colorado Springs prepared to take in overflow patients from other hospitals

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Hospitals across Colorado are feeling the strain from the second wave of COVID-19.

Officials at Children's Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs say they're prepared to take in patients to help free up space at other hospitals if need be.

Their hope is by taking in young patients from other hospitals, they'll free up space at those hospitals to take care of more critically ill adults.

How many people they're able to take in depends on how infection rates of COVID-19 continue among kids.

Experts say they're treating more kids with complications from COVID-19 now than they were during the first wave of the pandemic.

Seasonal respiratory infections will also play a big part in how many free beds they have.

Experts say they planned to add extra beds pre-COVID, because of the rough respiratory season we had last fall.

Because of that, they already planned to add 16 additional beds to their facility, bringing the total amount to 115 beds.

"We see our in-patient volumes spike every year around December," says Michael Distefano, Chief Medical Officer at Children's Hospital Colorado Colorado Springs. "The way we're looking at it in Colorado Springs is we are getting ready for our normal respiratory season."

More beds in the hospital means more people to socially distance from one another. Children's Hospital says though socially distancing more patients from each other may be challenging, they have strict policies in place to limit person-to-person contact.

The majority of the staff besides front-line workers are working for home. Patients' visitors are limited, as well.

The Children's Hospital has worked closely with Penrose Saint Francis and UCHealth to plan for a possible surge in cases and patients.

According to data from the El Paso County Public Health Department, hospitals' capacities in the Pikes Peak Region are already strained.