Upland Hills Health Managing COVID-19 Surge

PROVIDE PROOF OF VACCINATION. COVID CASES ARE RISING EVERYWHERE -- INCLUDING RIGHT HERE IN WISCONSIN. WE ADDED MORE THAN 2-THOUSAND NEW POSITIVE TESTS OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS. OUR 7-DAY AVERAGE SITS JUST UNDER 16-HUNDRED. THE C-D-C SAYS TRANSMISSION OF COVID-19 IS HIGH IN NEARLY EVERY COUNTY IN THE STATE. THOSE ARE COLORED IN RED ON THIS MAP. THE ONLY EXCEPTIONS ARE LAFAYETTE AND MENOMINEE COUNTIES -- IN ORANGE -- WHERE TRANSMISSION IS SUBSTANTIAL BIGGER COUNTIES MAY BE ABLE TO HANDLE THIS COVID WAVE, BUT IT'S MORE DIFFICULT IN SMALLER, MORE RURAL COUNTIES. CAROLINE DADE HAS YOU COVERED ON THE INCREASING DEMAND FOR TESTING IN IOWA COUNTY. AT UPLAND HILLS HEALTH IN DODGEVILLE, HEALTH WORKERS ARE SEEING AN INCREASE IN PATIENTS. BUT KRISANN KARLS --THE HOSPITAL'S VICE PRESIDENT OF ANCILLARY SERVICES -- SAYS THAT'S NOT WHERE SHE'S SEEING THE BIGGEST JUMP IN DEMAND. ((AROUND JUNE, JULY, WE WERE SEEING PROBABLY APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 300 TO 400 INDIVIDUALS BEING TESTED PER MONTH. IN THE MONTH OF AUGUST, IT WAS UP TO 1300.)) AND BECAUSE OF THAT INCREASE, THERE ARE NOW MORE OPTIONS FOR TESTING IN IOWA COUNTY. ((THE IOWA COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS NOW OFFERING DRIVE-THROUGH COVID-19 TESTING AT ITS OFFICES. THE PROGRAM STARTED LAST WEEK, AND IOWA COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGER KEITH HURLBERT SAYS THE PROGRAM IS A DIRECT RESULT OF MORE DEMAND FOR TESTING.)) ((WE GOT INTO FALL HERE, WE STARTED SEEING THOSE NUMBERS GO UP. SO WE WE DID INTRODUCE ANOTHER TEST OPTION OPTION FOR PEOPLE.)) KARLS SAYS SOME PEOPLE ARE GETTING TESTED BECAUSE THEY HAVE SYMPTOMS OR HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO THE VIRUS -- AND OTHERS WANT TO KNOW THEY'RE NEGATIVE BEFORE TRAVELING OR HAVING A PROCEDURE. AND ALTHOUGH UPLAND HILLS IS A SMALLER HOSPITAL -- KARLS SAYS DOING MORE TESTING ISN'T LEADING TO A CRITICAL STAFF SHORTAGE. ((WE'VE HAD QUITE A FEW PEOPLE THAT HAVE STEPPED UP FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THE SWABBING)) HURLBERT SAYS EVEN WITH THE HOSPITAL STAFF CURRENTLY MANAGING THE PANDEMIC WORKLOAD -- HE DOESN'T WANT TO SEE THEM HAVE TO WORK LIKE THIS FOREVER. ((YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT, EVERYBODY GETS WORE OUT, AND SO IT IS A LITTLE FRUSTRATING TO WATCH ALL THAT GO ON.)) IN DODGEVILLE, CAROLINE DADE, 27 NEWS. TESTING THROUGH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS AVAILABLE FROM 9 TO 11 ON TUESDAY MORNINGS. RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE NO PLANS TO EXPAND THOSE HOURS, BECAUSE THE