Brainerd Facility to Serve as Alternative Care Site to Help Relieve Hospital Capacity

ST. PAUL (KDLM) – Governor Tim Walz announced a second skilled-nursing facility would act an alternative care site as part of the governor’s efforts to relieve Minnesota hospitals treating a surge of COVID-19 patients.

An additional emergency staffing team of 14 Minnesota National Guard members and nine federal nurses will treat patients at Good Samaritan Society – Bethany in Brainerd. The site will help relieve hospital capacity in central and northern Minnesota by accepting up to 34 patients from area hospitals.

Patients eligible for transfer include those who no longer require acute emergency care but are not well enough to go home, such as those who are recovering from surgery. Hospitals usually are able to transfer these patients to long-term care settings to continue their recovery, but staffing and bed shortages have reduced long-term care capacity. Governor Walz announced an action plan last month to expand access to long-term care beds so hospitals can focus on treating COVID-19 patients and others requiring emergency care.