Seattle-area hospitals plan for surge in Covid-19 patients
As cases of Covid-19 skyrocket in Washington, Seattle hospitals are prepared for a surge of new patients.
University of Washington Medicine, Swedish Medical Center and Providence Health have all seen increases in Covid-19 patients in the past two weeks. To make sure they continue to have the capacity for Covid-19 patients, some hospitals have rescheduled elective and nonemergency surgeries and changed their visitor policies.
Almost 2,900 new cases of Covid-19 were reported Tuesday in Washington, and more than 176,000 were reported nationally. Last week, Gov. Jay Inslee announced statewide restrictions for four weeks starting Nov. 17, including limits on social gatherings and indoor dining services to “ensure that hospital and medical systems are not overwhelmed,” the guidance states.
Swedish Medical Center’s Covid-19 patient surge plan focuses on three areas: “space, staff and stuff,” Tiffany Moss, communications manager for Swedish, said in a statement. This means the hospital is making sure it has enough beds that are properly staffed and that caregivers have adequate personal protective equipment (PPE).
https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2020/11/25/seattle-hospitals-plan-for-covid-surge.html