Canales requests $2.6 million to employ Spohn for COVID care

County commissioners discussed using the second floor of the Spohn Memorial Medical Center as an alternative care site for patients with COVID-19.

County Judge Barbara Canales feels there won't be enough hospital beds available within a few weeks.

She says the current shortage of resources and staff could have been prevented, if the county had gone ahead with plans for a 40-bed alternate care unit at the old Spohn Memorial facility.

"I made a mistake,” Canales said. “I should have fought harder, because we need those 40 beds. I let everybody just you know fight about it when I knew as the emergency manager that this day would come and it’s here."

Canales is requesting $2.6 million to operate Spohn Memorial as an alternative care site.