On Saturday, the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services reports that due to the current surge of COVID-19 cases and a shortage of resources within some hospitals, crisis standards of care were activated. The activation was requested by the State’s Crisis Care Committee for 20 facilities, including Central Peninsula Hospital in Soldotna and South Peninsula Hospital in Homer.
The full list includes:
- Alaska Native Medical Center
- Alaska Regional Hospital
- Bartlett Regional Hospital
- Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation/Kanakanak Hospital
- Central Peninsula Hospital
- Cordova Community Medical Center
- Fairbanks Memorial Hospital
- Maniilaq Health Center
- Mat-Su Regional Medical Center
- Norton Sound Health Corporation
- Petersburg Medical Center
- Providence Alaska Medical Center
- Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center
- Providence Seward Medical Center
- Providence Valdez Medical Center
- SEARHC/Mt. Edgecumbe
- South Peninsula Hospital
- Elias Specialty Hospital
- Wrangell Medical Center
- Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation
DHSS Commissioner Adam Crum:
“The availability of resources and staff changes daily within these facilities. The State’s Patient Care Strategies for Scarce Resource Situations, which includes decision-making guidance for implementing crisis standards of care, is now available to these facilities should they need them. I want to stress that our health care facilities in Alaska remain open and able to care for patients. Alaskans who need medical care should not delay seeking it, even during these difficult times.”
Several health care facilities had previously enacted their own crisis standards of care, but Saturday’s action recognizes that Alaska, which has an interconnected and interdependent health care system, needed the activation due to the challenges the facilities currently face. They include, but aren’t limited to:
- Limited renal replacement therapy (a special type of dialysis used during kidney failure) and limited trained staff to use the equipment
- Limited oxygen supplies, associated equipment and mechanical ventilation
- Limited medical staff and the use of non-clinical staff to support clinical care
- Difficulty of transferring patients from rural communities to critical access hospitals and/or tertiary (specialty) hospitals, which puts patients at increased risk for adverse medical consequences or outcomes
Heidi Hedberg, director of the Division of Public Health:
“We are working alongside our health care facilities to provide state and federal resources to support the surge of patients. We are also imploring Alaskans to do their part. Please get vaccinated if you have not done so already, wear a mask when needed and keep your social circles small. Every action you take helps prevent COVID-19 from spreading and protects you, your family, other Alaskans and our health care system. No one wants to use crisis standards of care guidelines.”
For more information:
- DHSS: Patient Care Strategies for Scarce Resource Situations
- Office of Governor Mike Dunleavy Press Release: Hundreds of Health Care Workers Coming to Alaska as State Provides Support to Hospitals and Health Care Providers
- DHSS: Addendum No. 1 to the Public Health Emergency Order
- DHSS: Info Sheet to the Addendum
- DHSS: State of Alaska Actions to Address Hospital Capacity