INDIANAPOLIS — From the outside, Indiana hospitals all look fine, but every day inside, the situation gets more dire for Indiana hospitals.
"I think we are in many parts of the state on the edge of some real challenges to access," said Brian Tabor, president of the Indiana Hospital Association.
Tabor wakes up in the morning and checks the numbers, hoping to see hospitalizations leveling off. But instead, he sees a steady incline, including another new record Tuesday with more than 3,400 Hoosiers currently hospitalized with COVID-19.
"The steady trajectory is a concern, but what's even more concerning is the kind of iceberg that is out there," Tabor said. "Is there this spike that is coming after Thanksgiving?"
For now, health care workers can handle it, but the fear is down the road if Hoosiers can't change the trajectory of the number of new cases.
"We are able to care for patients. We don't want anyone to put off care," Tabor said. "But we do need to see a change in the direction of these numbers."
Help with a vaccine may be on the way, but Tabor urged people not to think this is settling down.
"I think there is a sentiment that we are not far away from really rounding the bend…but it's not tomorrow," he said. "The problem is just the numbers. If we can control the spread, we can manage through December, we can manage through January, we can get through February, we can get through these winter months."
