Tag: Crisis Standards of Care

From DHW Director Dave Jeppesen: When will Idaho exit crisis standards of care; encouraging pregnant women to choose to get the COVID-19 vaccine

On By idhwmediaIn Director Updates1 Comment

When will Idaho be able to exit crisis standards of care?

That is a question I receive quite frequently. When Gov. Brad Little and I answered questions through the AARP Town Hall earlier this week, several people asked us about this and shared stories of postponed surgeries and delayed healthcare that caused them frustration and distress. That is not what anyone wants. We all want healthcare availability to return to normal.

The short answer to that question is that Idaho will deactivate crisis standards of care when the surge of COVID-19 patients ends and the number of patients no longer exceeds the healthcare resources available.

Below are a few examples that will let us know we can leave crisis standards of care:

  • Non-clinical or non-traditional spaces or rooms are no longer being used to care for patients in hospital and healthcare systems settings
  • Patients who should be admitted to the hospital are admitted to traditional hospital rooms, and are no longer being kept for long periods in emergency rooms
  • Instead of large hospitals transferring patients to small hospitals, we can return to normal where small hospitals can transfer critical care patients to large hospitals as needed
  • At least some postponed, less critical surgeries can continue (we are starting to see this happen in some hospitals in Idaho)
  • Staff-to-patient ratios can return to normal
  • The trend of new cases and hospitalizations continues to decline

When the situation changes in Idaho, crisis standards of care will be deactivated, and the public will be informed immediately.

Continue reading “From DHW Director Dave Jeppesen: When will Idaho exit crisis standards of care; encouraging pregnant women to choose to get the COVID-19 vaccine” →

COVID-19 Q&A: Crisis Standards of Care

On By idhwmediaIn Public Health20 Comments

Idaho activated Crisis Standards of Care for the entire state on Thursday, Sept. 16.

What are crisis standards of care?

Crisis standards of care are guidelines that help healthcare providers and healthcare systems decide how to deliver the best care possible under the extraordinary circumstances of a disaster or a public health emergency.

The goal of crisis standards of care is to save as many lives as possible. They guide decisions made by hospitals about how to allocate scarce resources, such as hospital beds, medications, or ventilators.

How would crisis standards of care affect me and my care?

When crisis standards of care are in effect, people who need medical care may experience care that is different from what they expect.

For example, patients admitted to a hospital may find there are no hospital beds or that beds have been set up in other rooms or hallways. In some extreme circumstances, ventilator or intensive care unit beds may need to be used for those who are most likely to survive, while patients who are not likely to survive may not be able to receive one.

The goal in all cases is to provide the best medical care possible with the resources that are available and to save the greatest number of lives.

Continue reading “COVID-19 Q&A: Crisis Standards of Care” →

From DHW Director Dave Jeppesen: Idaho is now under Crisis Standards of Care statewide, and our hospitals and healthcare systems need our help

On By idhwmediaIn Director Updates1 Comment

The Department of Health and Welfare announced Thursday that Crisis Standards of Care (CSC) was being implemented statewide. The decision came after St. Luke’s Health System requested that CSC be activated.

The CSC Activation Advisory Committee met late Wednesday afternoon, and the decision was made to activate early Thursday morning. It was a thoughtful, heart-wrenching decision. No one wants this, but this is where we are. Our hospitals and healthcare systems have reached their resource limits. There is simply too much demand for care from people who are sick with COVID-19. There are not enough beds, rooms, staff or other resources for Idahoans who need hospitalization. CSC was the absolute last resort. The situation is dire in Idaho.

Although CSC was activated statewide by the Department of Health and Welfare, the hospitals will implement according to their own policies and available resources. Each hospital will make patient-care decisions based on the current situation at each hospital.

After our announcement early yesterday, the Idaho Hospital Association, St. Luke’s Health System, Saint Alphonsus Health System, Minidoka Memorial Hospital, and Portneuf Medical Center held a press conference in the afternoon.

Continue reading “From DHW Director Dave Jeppesen: Idaho is now under Crisis Standards of Care statewide, and our hospitals and healthcare systems need our help” →

From DHW Director Dave Jeppesen: The activation of Crisis Standards of Care is a call-to-action for all Idahoans

On By idhwmediaIn Director UpdatesLeave a comment

Because of a surge in COVID-19 patients who need to be in the hospital in North Idaho, Crisis Standards of Care was activated in Idaho on Sept. 6 after a request from Kootenai Health in Coeur d’Alene. This was a first for Idaho.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) activated Crisis Standards of Care (CSC) in accordance with IDAPA 16.02.09 – Crisis Standards of Care For Healthcare Entities in the Panhandle Health District and the North Central Health District (Public Health Districts 1 and 2).

No one takes this step lightly. Not Kootenai Health. Not the hospitals and healthcare organizations in northern Idaho. Not the healthcare workers. And not us. However, the goal is to extend care to as many patients as possible and save as many lives as possible. It means that we have a plan for what to do when there is a limited supply of resources available.

This was something I fervently hoped to avoid, and it was a difficult day for me personally when we activated Crisis Standards of Care.

What should you do? How can you help?

First, I would tell you to be careful. Wear your seatbelt. Take your prescribed medications. This is not the time to engage in any high-risk activity that might land you in the hospital … any hospital. Although we are all focused on North Idaho healthcare facilities right now, all hospitals and healthcare facilities in the state are stretched thin. We need to protect the capacity they have for our fellow Idahoans who need immediate care or have COVID-19 that requires hospitalization. 

COVID-19 case counts continue to rise in Idaho, and 91.6 percent of COVID-19 hospitalizations from May 15 – Sept. 4, 2021, were not fully vaccinated. Please choose to get vaccinated, wear a mask in public places, and stay home when you are sick. The best defense we have against COVID-19 is the vaccine, and it is safe and effective. You can read all about COVID-19 vaccine safety and monitoring on the Centers for Disease and Prevention website.

Continue reading “From DHW Director Dave Jeppesen: The activation of Crisis Standards of Care is a call-to-action for all Idahoans“ →