Prisma plans to group Midlands coronavirus patients at 2 locations

Prisma Health has begun moving patients at its Midlands hospitals as the system prepares for an expected surge in coronavirus patients later this month.

Prisma Health on Tuesday released how it will group COVID-19 patients in the Midlands, as coronavirus cases climb through this month and into next.

The plan includes treating COVID-19 patients with critical needs requiring more care at Prisma Health Richland, located north of downtown Columbia. The hospital system will use Prisma Health Baptist Hospital, located downtown Columbia, for coronavirus patients with fewer critical needs.

The hospital system, which has 1,000 beds at its six hospitals in the Midlands, plans to group as many suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients in as few locations as possible to limit exposure to the coronavirus to hospital staff and other patients.

As of Wednesday, there have been 2,552 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in South Carolina. According to DHEC, 372 Richland County residents and 128 Lexington County residents have tested positive for COVID-19.

Beginning Saturday, Prisma Health plans to serve low-risk labor and delivery and oncology patients at Baptist Parkridge Hospital in Irmo.

Prisma Health Richland in Columbia will continue to be used for high-risk labor and delivery as the hospital has a perinatal unit on its own floor away from other patients.

However, low-risk expecting mothers already scheduled to deliver at Prisma Richland will still be able to give birth at that hospital.

“Suspected COVID-19 patients are being cared for in specific units of the hospital which ensure care and oversight by select staff and allows for isolation of those patients from non-COVID-19 patients,” Prisma spokeswoman Tammie Epps wrote in an email to the State.

Mothers who are inpatients and have already delivered prior to Saturday will not be moved. Instead, they will be discharged home, Prisma said in a news release.

Prisma also had planned to start moving oncology patients to Baptist Parkridge on Tuesday.

“We understand that this information includes changes for some of our patients. Every action we are taking is in the best interests of our patients, our team members and the health of our community, and we apologize for any inconveniences this may cause you,” said Dr. Steve Shelton, the incident commander for Prisma Health–Midlands.

This story was originally published April 8, 2020 at 2:54 PM.