Mapping Massachusetts Coronavirus: Where Are State's ICU Beds?

BOSTON — Health officials projected this week that the coronavirus crisis in Massachusetts could peak on April 20, when the number of hospital beds available for coronavirus patients will fall 3,180 short of the 8,028 needed, and the number of intensive-care beds will fall 1,596 short of the 1,873 needed.

Patch used an Associated Press analysis of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid cost reports data from 2018 to show where the biggest shortages of ICU beds could occur in Massachusetts.

The data is not entirely indicative of the situation hospitals now face, as many hospitals have been trying to add ICU beds since the coronavirus pandemic hit. But it is the most recent view available through public data, and knowing what the capacities of these hospitals were in 2018 can give an idea of what these communities are up against.

Of the 97 Massachusetts hospitals reviewed by Harvard Global Health Institute, 52 had intensive care units based on 2018 data from the American Hospital Association. Darker-shaded pins on the map below signify higher numbers of ICU beds:

The size of the ICU units varies from hospital to hospital, ranging from four at Fairview Hospital in Great Barrington to 121 at Children's Hospital in Boston.

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A doubling of the projected death toll from the new coronavirus in Massachusetts earlier this week was attributed to a shortage of intensive care unit beds at the state's hospitals. Statewide there are 2.85 hospital beds per 1,000 residents, but just 0.19 intensive-care beds per 1,000 residents.

And a Patch analysis of the AP data shows some parts of the state have more hospitals equipped with intensive care unit beds:

More Coronavirus Coverage On Massachusetts Patch:

• Mapping Massachusetts Coronavirus Cases, Town-By-Town
• Massachusetts Coronavirus: 139,582 More File For Unemployment
• Most MA Banks Put Limits On Who Can Apply For Coronavirus Loans

Dave Copeland writes for Patch and can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).