79.8 % of Area's Ventilators Available as of Yesterday Afternoon's SITREP

As of  4:52 Yesterday Afternoon, county reports indicate that 79.8% of Ventilators in our Area's three main hospitals are open and available for use.  This is good news!

For weeks now I have been closely watching the numbers of ventilators locally available at our area's hospitals---via numbers provided by staff and rolled up into a daily SITREP.  What I will remain fixed upon is the number of ventilators locally and the percentage of these open and available for patient use.  This is a data point I believe we need to watch very closely as I have stated and for the reasons expressed previously here, here, and here.

But just as of Yesterday afternoon, I have been told the entire report is not to be released.  Commissioners still have access to the data via webeoc-- but the full report now sports a disclaimer on the top (that wasn't there before in previous versions)  that says:

"*FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY*

This document is confidential and exempt from Florida Public Records Law

Under Chapter 119.071(3) Fla. Stat."

Because of this new guidance I will no longer be linking the full report here on my blog, but rather only reporting the local Hospitals' total daily ventilator and beds available data.  

I've not been told this portion of the report is classified information-----it isn't and it shouldn't be.  Heck---I'm the commissioner  that demanded this information be gathered and included in the Board's SITREP daily---this information wasn't even being collected before I pushed for it!

During times of panic, folks need information and complete transparency in real time.  This eases anxiety and fear and I believe the board has spoken on this and wants maximum transparency as we all work together to navigate this COVID-19 crisis.

As of late yesterday evening, according to yesterday's SITREP, we have 174 Ventilators available for patient use out of 218 total ventilators in our area's hospitals.  

79.8% of our area's ventilators are available.
Additionally, we have 581 Beds available in these same area hospitals out of a total of 1334 total.


43.5% of our area's hospital beds are available.