Fargo executive: COVID has put hospitals in dire situation

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — An executive at the largest health care system in North Dakota says its hospitals in Fargo alone could use up to 300 more nurses to handle COVID-19 cases. Dr. Doug Griffin is the Sanford Health vice president and medical officer in Fargo, the state’s largest city. He says the Fargo system has hired 150 travel or contract nurses from other areas. The system is offering increased wages, sign-on bonuses and other unspecified perks to attract more workers. Griffin says it’s the most dire staffing situation the system has ever faced. And the peak for hospitalizations due to the coronavirus is still weeks away.