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URGENT APPEAL AS THEY NEAR CAPACITY. CYNTHIA: STUDIES SHOW MORE RURAL RESIDENTS ARE AT RISK OF MORE SEVERE COVID-19 BECAUSE OF AGE AND HEALTH CONDITIONS THAN THOSE LIVING IN URBAN AREAS. 30 MILES FROM DES MOINES IN JASPER COUNTY, WITH 37,000 RESIDENTS, MERCY ONE NEWTON MEDICAL CENTER, A 41-BED HOSPITAL THAT IS STAFFING TO CARE FOR 25 PATIENTS. >> I DO THINK THAT THE URGENCY IS REAL, WHETHER IT'S URBAN OR RURAL THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED HELP. CYNTHIA: CHAD KELLY SAY HOSPITALS URGENTLY NEED THE PUBLIC'S HEALTH TO WEAR MASKS AND SOCIALLY DISTANCE TO STOP THE SURGE, 43 HOSPITALS AROUND THE STATE ARE HELPING EACH OTHER COMMUNICATING DAILY ABOUT NEW TREATMENTS AND WHERE BEDS ARE AVAILABLE. >> SO WE ARE ABLE TO DO SOME JUGGLING AND FREE UP SPACE AND ALSO SOME OF THE RURAL AFFILIATES OR SMALLER TOWN AFFILIATES ARE GETTING A LITTLE MORE COMFORTABLE MANAGING SOME OF THESE COVID PATIENTS SO THEY DON'T ALL END UP HERE. >> THAT'S HAPPENING DAILY, IN FACT, WE HAVE TAKEN MULTIPLE PATIENTS FROM OUR PARTNERS IN DES MOINES TO HELP CREATE BED CAPACITY THERE FOR THE MORE SEVERELY ILL PATIENTS THAT NEED THE HIGH VENTILATION OR THOSE TREATMENTS. CYNTHIA: SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN, MORE RURAL HOSPITALS HAVE ACQUIRED NECESSARY TECHNOLOGY LIKE VENTILATORS TO TRY TO KEEP PATIENTS IN THEIR HOMETOWN. >> WHAT WE REALLY WANT TO DO IS KEEP PEOPLE CLOSE SO THAT WE DON'T OVERWHELM THE URBAN HOSPITALS. CYNTHIA: DOCTORS ARE WARNING THAT RURAL HOSPITALS COULD BE HIT ESPECIALLY HARD AND BECOME MORE OVERWHELMED AS THE FLU SEASON BEGI