Roseburg, Ore.-based Mercy Medical Center will close its outpatient surgery center and convert it into a COVID-19 unit if cases continue to rise in Douglas County, local CBS affiliate KPIC reported Nov. 17.
Douglas County has 678 active COVID-19 cases with few hospitalizations. Fourteen patients are hospitalized in the county to date, with Mercy treating 10 of those. Mercy faces no capacity issues.
The hospital detailed a number of precautions after recording its highest number of COVID-19 admissions over the last few weeks. Mercy has 130 beds, including 16 in the intensive care unit. In addition to closing its outpatient surgery center, Mercy will station COVID-19 patients together and can refer patients to other facilities if needed.