Hospital leaders from the Triad's largest health care systems came together Monday to to form one voice that stressed the importance of COVID-19 safety measures because their workers are all strained beneath the weight of high patient volume, short staffing and a pandemic that feels endless. 

What You Need to Know 

Hospitals in the Triad and beyond are feeling the strain of high COVID cases, staffing shortages and the seemingly endless pandemic 

Hospital leader came together in a video news conference Monday morning to urge the public to get their vaccine or booster and take other COVID-19 safety measures 

Other essential services, like police and EMS, are also impacted by constant COVID-19 absenses 

Other essential infrastructure resources, like school buses, emergency service workers and police are also heavily impacted by soaring case numbers, the hospital leaders from Moses Cone Health System, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist and Novant Health said during a Monday morning video conference.

Last week's daily metrics reports for North Carolina saw record-shattering new cases day after day and peaked at more than 28,000 for just one day's report on Friday.  

"Our health systems are being threatened because of the rising volume of COVID-19," CEO of Cone Health Mary Cagle said."Our health systems are being threatened because of the rising volume of COVID-19," CEO of Cone Health Mary Cagle said. "Our ability to care for our communities are being threatened." 

As of Friday, the state Department of Health and Human Services reported 3,474 people are hospitalized with the virus, and President and CEO of Novant Health Carl Armato said that the majority of those receiving medical care were not vaccinated. 

"Please do your part ...just a bit to relieve our teams who are working so tirelessly to care for both COVID and non-COVID patients," Armato said. 

Wearing a mask, avoiding large crowds, getting boosted or vaccinated if you haven't had a shot are all ways to help alleviate the burden thrown onto the most needed frontline caregivers, who are reaching their limits of exhaustion and stress from the pandemic, the hospital leaders said. 

Elective surgeries are being postponed, and clinics may have to close because of COVID-19. Hospital staff and other critical care services are experiencing staffing shortages because workers are becoming ill, and the Triad health care leaders urged the public to exercise COVID-19 safety measures to help combat the issues that are hurting their staffs' abilities to provide the best possible care for all patients, both with the virus or other medical needs.  

Julie Freischlag, CEO of Atruim also again urged people not to go to the emergency room simply for a COVID-19 test as that is compounding already high numbers of people flocking to the ER. 

Last week, leaders of Triangle-area hospitals came together on a video conference with a similar message, stating their ICUs were filling up and pleading with people to get boosted, vaccinated and be safe. 

For more information on where to find a vaccine or booster shot, click here.