Workers are seen in an IU Health South Central Region COVID testing and treatment area. Photo by Chis Bergin/IU Health
A nurse and a doctor who work in emergency medicine in Bloomington are urging people to get vaccinated as hospital staff are dealing with pandemic fatigue and a worker shortage while patient numbers are rising.
“People are acting like COVID is over ... and it’s not,” said Dr. Robert Adams, IU Health Southern Indiana Physicians Emergency Medicine provider.
Katy Howe, a registered nurse and director of emergency and trauma services at IU Health, said, “Just when we think we’ve made it through another surge (and there’s) a glimmer of hope ... then it hits again.”
Adams and Howe are adding their voices to a growing chorus of health care workers who are sounding the alarm about rising hospitalizations from motor vehicle accidents, the flu and COVID-19 amid increasing health care worker burnout and a general labor shortage.
The Indiana Hospital Association, Indiana State Medical Association and Indiana State Nurses Association this week released a joint statement to urge people to get their COVID and flu shots to relieve pressures bearing down on health care workers.
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