Letter from Minnesota health system CEOs urges public to get vaccinated

[KSTP-TV News, December 13, 2021] At a time when Minnesota's health care systems are already strained, here comes flu season. And some health care experts are worried that circumstances could potentially be right for a "twindemic," with flu cases and COVID cases rising at the same time, or even patients that are infected with both viruses at the same time.

According to the Minnesota Department of Health, the number of flu cases has more than doubled in the past week. The timing for any kind of a surge couldn't be worse.

Over the weekend, nine CEOs of different Minnesota health systems took out full-page ads in newspapers across Minnesota describing the climate inside hospitals and clinics, saying, "We're heartbroken. We're overwhelmed."

"We are really at a critical edge," said Dr. Penny Wheeler, CEO for Allina Health.

Wheeler was one of the hospital administrators who signed the letter.

"We wanted to put out this plea so people would know what it's like inside and what our care teams are facing," she said.