Mercy Health declares COVID 'disaster' amid overcapacity, staff shortage in Muskegon [View all]

MUSKEGON, MI – Mercy Health officials dealing with a COVID-19 “disaster” in Muskegon have put out the call for nurses they need to open one and possibly three floors to care for patients at the shuttered Hackley Hospital.

Retired or otherwise inactive but licensed RNs and LPNs are needed to help as COVID-19 cases overwhelm current space and staff, said Kim Maguire, chief nursing officer and vice president of patient care services for Mercy Health Muskegon.

“We need all hands on deck, honestly,” she said.

The hospital’s COVID inpatient count grew to 140 Monday, Nov. 16. COVID patients occupy about half of the hospital’s beds, Maguire told MLive.

The staffing shortage is exacerbated by employees themselves being infected with COVID, which numbered 111 on Monday, she said.

The hospital is bringing in agency nurses to help, but also is competing with hospitals across the country who are in the same boat.