BUFFALO, N.Y. — With the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic still weeks away, hospital supplies are a big concern, and while the country still faces shortages of masks, goggles and other equipment for healthcare workers, ventilators are at the top of many wish-lists.
Like his fellow hospital executives around the country, Catholic Health President and CEO Mark Sullivan is trying to find the life-saving machines anywhere he can.
"There will not be enough ventilators for everyone," Sullivan told 2 On Your Side.
To help with the shortage, Catholic Health is working to split ventilators so that one machine can be used on two patients. The company also rented anesthesia machines from local ambulatory surgery providers that have closed. Those anesthesia machines can be converted to ventilators, adding 20% to Catholic Health's inventory.
Sullivan is also reaching out to government leaders at all levels. Earlier this week, a shipment arrived.
"Our team was in tears," Sullivan explained. "A truck backed into St. Joseph Campus, and it was the State in their Army fatigues, and they delivered ventilators to the treatment center."
Barbara McManus, a Catholic Health's Vice President, said the ventilators were supplied through the governor's "NY Responds" program, which is administered through the state Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.
The St. Joseph Campus in Cheektowaga has been converted into a COVID-only hospital, the first in the state. As of Wednesday night, there were 39 patients with the virus being treated there.
Catholic Health's other hospitals -- Mercy Hospital in South Buffalo, Sisters of Charity in Buffalo, Kenmore Mercy and Mount St. Mary's in Lewiston -- all have COVID units that are closed off areas to isolate the confirmed cases, which can help preserve much-needed personal protective equipment for staff.
Ventilators remain a key concern; the ones that arrived at St. Joseph Campus will help, but they won't be enough.
"I don't want the community to ever view a healthcare worker as a person that decided if their loved one could live or die," Sullivan said. "They want everyone to live. The decision has to be made with the family in advance... (this disease) is very different than any other disease. So when the times get tough in Western New York, we band together and circle the wagons. I think the community needs to do that, but they need to realize the reality of this as well that it's going to be here."
At the same time, Sullivan said there is positive news. The community is rallying behind the healthcare workers, whom he described as "heroes". Also, many people who test positive are getting better, even those that got really sick.
As of Thursday at 6 a.m., 42 Catholic Health patients who were in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) or in med-surg beds, were discharged. That's 42 people who were very ill who can now recover at home.