Orlando Health issues clarification regarding bed capacity

The hospital bed count published daily by the Agency for Health Care Administration doesn't reflect Orlando Health's total bed capacity, a company spokeswoman said.

The AHCA publishes statistics that track available hospital beds in all 67 Florida counties. However, Kena Lewis, Orlando Health's director of public affairs and media relations, said the numbers Orlando Health reports to the AHCA don't reflect the company's total bed capacity.

"In mid-March, as patient volumes declined and fewer beds were needed, Orlando Health began consolidating units to reduce the number of beds — including ICU beds — that were staffed and in operation," Lewis said. "The current operational bed count is what we report to AHCA and what appears on (its) website.

"That number is not Orlando Health’s total bed capacity," she said. "Across all of our operations, we have nearly 3,300 beds. Nearly 200 of those are ICU beds, and we have the capacity to surge up to 500 ICU beds if it becomes necessary.

"We are carefully monitoring the increases in patient volumes," Lewis said. "If the need for additional beds grows, Orlando Health will re-open units and make other necessary adjustments in order to meet the needs of the community."