Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Ambulance service in Las Vegas able to manage latest virus wave

UMC

John Locher / AP

An ambulance is parked at University Medical Center.

Ambulance service in Las Vegas does not appear to be overburdened amid the current COVID-19 wave, a grim reality that has hit neighboring California.

John Hammond, emergency medical services and trauma system manager for the Southern Nevada Health District who oversees and directs protocols for all EMS providers in the region, said “neither the hospitals nor EMS agencies have indicated that they are unable to continue operations.” 

Parts of California have recently seen their intensive care units completely fill and Los Angeles County officials directed ambulance crews earlier this month to not transport patients to hospitals if they have little chance of survival.

Las Vegas Fire & Rescue spokesman Tim Szymanski confirmed that the fire department has no such program in place. So did a representative for the county-run University Medical Center, who said he was not aware of any ambulance rationing discussions locally.

“As Nevada’s only Level I Trauma Center and only Verified Burn Center, UMC has a unique responsibility to the people of Southern Nevada. UMC’s overall volume of COVID-19-related admissions has stabilized in recent weeks, and our hospital remains fully prepared for any potential post-holiday surge,” hospital spokesman Scott Kerbs said in an email. “We have comprehensive surge plans in place to significantly expand UMC’s bed count in response to any future increase in patient volume.”

According to the Nevada Hospital Association, licensed beds in Clark County hospitals were at 94% capacity as of Tuesday, with ICUs 82% full. COVID-19 patients represented 56% of intensive care and 34% of patients overall.

“We’re likely seeing an increase in hospitalizations ... after the holidays in December and other activities when people get together,” state COVID-19 response chief Caleb Cage told reporters Wednesday.

The Southern Nevada Health District on Wednesday reported 737 new cases of COVID-19, pushing the total number reported in Clark County past 194,000. The district reported 42 more deaths, bringing the area total to 2,716.

Statewide, health officials have tallied nearly 254,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 3,500 deaths.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.