The Harris Health System is blaming several factors, including a growing surge of COVID-19 patients, a large number of non-COVID patients, and a shortage of nurses.
“When you put all of that together, it kind of creates a perfect storm scenario,” said Dr. Esmaeil Porsa, president and CEO of Harris Health.
The president knows he has a nurse staffing issue. He said he’s short a total of 140 nurses at LBJ and Ben Taub hospitals combined. Porsa said part of that is because of a national shortage, though some are also sick and some have left.
“I’m frustrated. I am disheartened,” Porsa said. “I don’t get the feeling that people understand the gravity of the situation that we are in.”
He said the latest COVID surge is developing faster than the last one, leaving him worried things will only get worse.
While the state previously provided some temporary nurses for the hospital, Porsa said that is no longer happening.
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