Ed Jimenez, right, the CEO of UF Health, a new unit at UF Health Shands Hospital in July 2019. [Brad McClenny/Staff photographer] ▲

Skilled health staff take paid time off but not permitted to go to coronavirus hotspots as UF Health protects is ability to ramp up.

Hospitals in COVID-19 hotspots are so full that patients are crowded into rooms and halls, makeshift hospitals have been built in days, and staff have to snake through a gauntlet of gurneys and equipment.

That does not describe UF Health Shands Hospital. It has such a drop in patients that some areas are being shut down and nurses and other staff are mandated to take vacation time.

Shands CEO Ed Jimenez said government-imposed restrictions on elective surgeries and other medical measures have led to a drop in the number of hospitalizations.

"In January, we were regularly near 900 inpatients — that is census — and (Wednesday) we were near 600 inpatients — again, that is census," Jimenez said.

Census represents the number of people hospitalized at a specific time of the day. The actual number of patients varies over the course of a day with admissions and discharges.

On March 20, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order directing that hospitals and certain other medical practices stop providing any unnecessary, non-urgent or non-emergency procedures or surgery.

North Florida Regional Medical Center, which is owned HCA Healthcare, has also had a decrease in surgery and outpatient volume, said spokeswoman Lauren Lettelier in an email.

NFRMC is trying to move staff to different positions but is cutting pay for some.

"For colleagues with reduced hours, the company will seek to redeploy them other opportunities so they can continue working," Lettelier said. "Those who cannot be redeployed will continue to receive 70% of base pay for up to seven weeks, until HCA Healthcare better understands the long-term implications of this pandemic on the organization."

Shands is a flagship teaching hospital that draws patients from throughout Florida and elsewhere for treatment. The restrictions have curtailed non-essential surgeries and therapies, which has resulted in less work for employees.

Jimenez did not have a figure for the number of employees affected. Some are being shifted to other UF Health Facilities but others are being required to take paid time off.

A credit system has been created that will allow employees who do not have enough accrued time to take the leave. They must pay back the hours as they accrue them.

"We are redeploying people within UF Health, but if someone isn't going somewhere else they will take paid time off," Jimenez said. "We value our employees, which is why we are working constantly to figure it out. We're not furloughing anybody. We are not laying anybody off."

Hospitals in states such as New York with large numbers of COVID-19 cases have asked for help from medical professionals from other states. UF is prohibiting its employees who are not currently working from going elsewhere because they may be needed back at Shands, Jimenez said.

If severe outbreaks occur in other areas of Florida and overload hospitals, those facilities may end up sending patients to Shands.

In that case, Shands could need employees to return to work on short notice.

"We all need to keep in mind that as much as we sympathize with all of our sisters and brothers in health care in other states, we need to make sure that we can properly care for our own here at UF Health/Shands as well," said John Berry, with the Florida Nurses Association, the union that covers Shands staff.