COVID-19

Valley hospitals more stretched than ever

ICU beds dwindle in Arizona

Almost a year to the day since the first COVID-19 vaccines were handed out to Arizona frontline workers on Dec. 16, 2020, hospitals in the state and across the Valley say they’re no better off now than when the pandemic began.

Despite vaccines readily available to anyone over the age of 5, health care systems continue to be strained by the volume of patients — both with and without COVID — walking through their doors, causing elective surgeries to be deferred and increasing emergency room wait times.

Dr. Michael White, chief clinical officer at Valleywise Health in Phoenix, said the main medical center is seeing the same number of patients they saw this time last year.

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