Rural Oregon hospitals buckle under strain of omicron

There are more than 700 patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in the state, according to the Oregon Health Authority. As the omicron variant rapidly spreads across counties, the number of available ICU beds is dwindling and causing particular strain for smaller, rural hospitals with fewer beds and resources. In The Dalles, the number of new COVID-19 cases has more than doubled in the past week. Don Wenzler, the Chief Clinical Officer at Mid-Columbia Medical Center in The Dalles, talks to us about the twin challenges his rural hospital faces as it confronts a surging caseload and frontline health workers who are falling ill or being forced into quarantine after possible exposure to the virus.