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Minnesota has one of the highest rates of COVID-19 infections in the country right now. There are very, very few ICU beds available in the state. Hospitals are delaying surgeries — shoulder surgeries, knee surgeries and even some heart procedures — because of the number of COVID-19 patients taking up beds.

Health care workers are becoming more vocal about their plight. Last Friday, Dr. Brian Hartz took to Facebook to make an impassioned plea on their behalf.

“[T]he hospital needs all of [us], all the time now — that is not something we can do forever,” he wrote.

Hartz is a pulmonologist and critical care physician at Respiratory Consultants and North Memorial Health in Robbinsdale. He told host Cathy Wurzer more about what he and his colleagues are facing.

Hartz said some health care workers are feeling “despondent” and “hopeless,” and he warned listeners about the dangers of severe cases of COVID-19.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

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Minnesota has one of the highest rates of COVID-19 infections in the country, and hospitals are overwhelmed. Last Friday, a Minnesota pulmonologist, Dr. Brian Hartz, took to Facebook to make an impassioned plea on behalf of struggling health care workers.

Minnesota has one of the highest rates of COVID infections in the country, and hospitals are overwhelmed. Last Friday, a Minnesota pulmonologist named Dr. Brian Hartz took to Facebook to make an impassioned plea on behalf of struggling health care workers.

A doctor speaks up about the plight of health care workers as COVID-19 cases surge

A nurse works on a computer in a hospital room.

Doctor speaks up about the plight of health care workers as COVID cases surge

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