This new year, COVID-19 has shared headlines for the flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), filling hospital beds, increasing COVID deaths and giving children Tylenol, Advil and Motrin. It’s getting harder to find.

“All three viruses are rampant. Flu in Coconino County is up 1,800% from the five-year average,” said Fry’s Pharmacy Manager Ted Sawulski, Rph, Flagstaff. “Many flu, RSV, COVID are at moderate levels and stable in the background, but that could change at any moment. Maine has BQ.1 and he has BQ.1.1. Yes, and I’m sure it will come out soon.”

“This is a really tough time for kids,” said Mary Beth Koch, a licensed pharmacy technician at Prescott Valley Safeway. and sometimes a month at a time.”

Pharmacist Dr. Sheri Wadhams, co-owner with Jane Blair manager of Wadham’s Apothecary in Flagstaff, dispensed her children’s last dose of Motrin on Friday, Dec. 23, but it’s not available to wholesalers nationwide. I can’t order any more at this time. “We also don’t have access to certain antibiotics. We see a lot of sick people. Upper respiratory disease in children is turning into pneumonia.”

“We’ve been wearing masks for the past two years, especially for small children, but they’re not used to seeing the virus,” Sawulski said. “Society is back in full swing, and so are germs.”

The virus pileup has also affected Flagstaff Medical Center (FMC). Josh Tinkle, deputy CEO of Northern Arizona Health Care (NAH), said, “We are certainly feeling the pinch right now as these three viruses converge.” Respiratory diseases have dramatically increased the demand for beds across the board, and one of the great things about the proposed new hospital is that it will be able to serve more patients.”

New hospital for community activity center

Recent FMC patient levels have soared to heights not seen since the peak of the pandemic, with hospital officials saying more than 5,500 patients have been deferred to other hospitals in the Phoenix area or Las Vegas over the past 12 months. It is said that it had to be done.

“Most of these deferrals were not because they were patients who could not be treated from a skill set or vision standpoint, but because there were no beds for them,” said NAH’s vice president of construction and real estate. Developed by Stephen Ice. “This is one of the big drivers for him to build new hospitals and plan for the future growth we expect over the next 50 years.”

As such, plans to build about a third of FMC’s new state-of-the-art hospital, ambulatory care center, and premier health and wellness village near Fort Tuthill have been pushed through the City of Flagstaff’s planning process. space for physician offices, gyms, health food stores, health-focused retailers, health-focused restaurants, medical research and development spaces, hotels, housing components for permanent residents, and possibly shared nursing simulation labs. Emphasizes a healthy lifestyle. Affiliated with Northern Arizona University and Coconino Community College.

“When you look at health care from a holistic perspective, it’s not just about caring for people when they’re sick, it’s about planning for overall health, vitality and job creation,” says Eiss. As a result, what was zoned as a neighborhood activity center was elevated to a regional activity center. “This allows for a more holistic approach to community health.”

higher housing density

Minor amendments to Flagstaff’s regional plan were approved through both the Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council to accommodate the NAH plan. “In the future, a regional activity center will be located here, where land use density and concentration will increase, and we anticipate a large scale residential and commercial project located at the intersection of Beulah Blvd, a major road on Woody Mountain Road. said City of Flagstaff Zoning Code Manager Tiffany Antor.

The Regional Activities Center has been moved slightly to be located directly where the hospital is, she said. We have changed the land use category, with approximately 58 acres in the first phase being rezoned for commercial use, including just over 31 acres for public facilities to support the open spaces being developed.”

“There are no major programmatic changes to the proposed hospital and ambulatory care center. We’ve made quite a few tweaks to the plan,” says Eiss. , he plans to break ground on the hospital and outpatient care center by the end of the year. This includes doctors’ offices and outpatient services such as imaging, physical therapy, laboratories, and retail pharmacies. “Major changes include an increase in housing density from his 177 to about 315.”

The village’s multi-family housing component will be in the form of apartments or condominiums aimed at alleviating Flagstaff’s housing shortage. NAH plans to reserve a few for her members of the traveling staff. Residential units and some retail space will be built at the same time as the hospital.

wellness partnership

Meanwhile, NAH hopes to attract village health and wellness partners later this year. “We want to target health-focused grocers, retailers, restaurants and R&D partners to add economic vitality to the region,” he said. increase.

Additionally, Tinkle said the new hospital facility and equipment will enable certain medical procedures not currently performed at the FMC, such as complex wound and high pressure treatments and advanced cardiothoracic surgery. A comprehensive cancer center is also part of the plan.

Full construction of the Health and Wellness Village is expected to last through 2040 and is estimated to bring annual economic benefits to Flagstaff and northern Arizona of $387 million. Flagstaff Unified School District and Coconino Community College.

“This is an opportunity to be a leader in how Northern Arizona delivers and experiences healthcare,” Tinkle said. “This gives us the opportunity to create experiences for people to live in a healthy way instead of being sick. I think that’s the most exciting thing.” FBN

Bonnie Stevens, FBN

For more on the triple demic on Zonie Living, see Bonnie Stevens’ interview with pharmacist Ted Sawulski.
StarWorldWideNetworks.com/show/bonnie-stevens.

Image provided: Pictured in this rendering, Northern Arizona Healthcare’s planned health and wellness village is located near Fort Tuthill and Flagstaff Airport and is currently zoned as a community activity center.