Citing the “unprecedented tension” of the latest COVID surge, the majority of Delaware hospitals have urgent rules in place to deal with the COVID-19 surge.
ChristianaCare, Bayhealth, TidalHealth Nanticoke and Saint Francis announced in a joint statement on Monday that they would implement all the rules called the Crisis Standards of Care.
According to the news release, this will allow hospitals to relocate clinical and non-clinical staff, adjust staff ratios, and change the way treatment resources are allocated.
ChristianaCare, Delaware’s largest medical system, was the first hospital to make this announcement.
The rule is only implemented in an emergency. Hospitals across the country made similar decisions, depending on the number of hospitalizations with COVID-19.
“Current demand for care exceeds the usual resources available to us,” a hospital official said in a statement. “Each of our organizations is taking steps to prioritize the care of those with the greatest needs.”
Delaware’s healthcare system is “expanding beyond capacity,” officials said. The hospital also requires residents to go to the hospital’s emergency room only for serious health problems.
Governor John Carney announced on Monday that he would require Delaware people to wear masks when in most public places. He also deployed 70 Delaware National Guard to assist the hospital in “non-clinical operations.”
The governor previously assigned about 110 members to train as certified nursing assistants in the hope of supporting hospitals and long-term care facilities.
“We all know we’re exhausted from this pandemic,” Kearney said in a statement. “But at the level of hospitalization we see, Delaware people in need of emergency care may not be able to get it. That’s just a fact. Everyone participates and works. It’s time to do it. “
According to state data, the pandemic is having a more serious impact in Delaware. The number of hospitalizations is up to 784 as of Sunday, breaking the record every day.
The weekly rate of new cases, which surged, surged by 50%. More than a quarter of the COVID-19 tests are positive.
With the release of ChristianaCare, the emergency rule states, “Health providers can change processes and allocate resources to care for patients in need in situations where they are unable to provide care as usual. It is defined as “framework”. standard. “
This move is also due to the Delaware healthcare system continuing to face a staffing crisis, especially among nurses. Healthcare workers are discharged due to burnout or better financial opportunities.
In recent weeks, state officials have attributed staffing issues to workers exposed to COVID-19.
Health systems often experience over 100% capacity, and about 40% of patients are infected with COVID-19, according to ChristianaCare officials. The majority of these patients require a higher level of care, officials said.
“The healthcare system is in unprecedented tension,” said Dr. Janice Nevin, CEO of ChristianaCare, in the release. “No other person in our community needs hospitalization, emergency medical care, or other medical services.”
According to the American Association of Medical Colleges, the decisions made under the Crisis Standards of Care are not focused on one person, but on the best results for a group of patients.
According to the National Academy of Science and Technology Medicine, this type of care is only seen when “resources are depleted and functionally equivalent care is no longer possible.”
According to a March 2020 report, the implementation of this care requires “facility-specific decisions regarding the allocation of limited resources, including how patients are triaged to receive life-saving care.”
This is the latest news.Check delawareonline.com for updates
