WA state hospitals remain over capacity, and it's not just the fault of COVID-19
Jul. 21—Washington hospital officials on Monday sounded the alarm again about the state's ever-shrinking bed capacity for patients, blamed not entirely on the COVID-19 pandemic but rather problems that have plagued the system for most of the year.
Lack of staff, both in hospitals and at skilled nursing facilities, and a growing number of difficult-to-discharge patients are leaving hospitals in a constant state of overcapacity with too few beds for acute care, according to Washington State Hospital Association leaders and various hospital representatives who spoke to reporters Monday.
The same problems were addressed at length at the association's briefings in December and January. Since that time, the problems have only increased, officials say.
Dr. Steve Mitchell, medical director for the Washington Medical Coordination Center, said that hospitals in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties "are more strained today than really at any other point since the pandemic began."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/wa-state-hospitals-remain-over-capacity-and-it-s-not-just-the-fault-of-covid-19/ar-AAZQ0Da