Marian Regional Medical Center: ER and CCU staff prepare for potential COVID-19 surge

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - When it comes to the Critical Care Unit at Marian Regional Medical Center there's no time to waste, especially during a COVID-19 surge.

"It was like a battle zone here everything changed the environment changed visually emotionally physically," said registered nurse Tonya Golden of the Critical Care Unite at Marian Regional Medical Center.

Golden works with the “sickest of the sick” among covid-19 patients.

"The worst is just doing all of that … trying to battle and doing everything you know you can do … and you still lose these patients," said Golden.

While staff are preparing for another potential surge, she says the previous one back in January was exhausting.

"Having to be the only person in that room with them when they pass … it’s very hard … and disheartening to go through," said Golden.

Dr. Alicia Gonzalez works in the Emergency Room at Marian Regional Medical Center.

She says the return of the mask mandate is critical in the midst of rising COVID-19 cases.

"I definitely can empathize that … it’s disheartening … these things like mask mandates however … as the doctor in me it's like … just put it on … we never stopped wearing masks … it makes a gigantic difference in preventing the spread of COVID-19 in our community," says Gonzalez.

As doctors and nurses continue to treat unvaccinated patients with COVID-19, they’re urging people to get vaccinated if you haven’t already.

"We are still seeing those young unvaccinated totally healthy parents for example … Coming and getting into-baited … we’re still dealing with these really harsh realities," says Gonzalez.

"We do everything we can to help save peoples lives … and we do what we can to help them through this … if they even do survive," says Golden

Doctors and nurses say so far they have experienced three COVID-19 surges during the pandemic, and are ready if they see more patients arrive in a fourth wave.