<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div>Courtesy of the <i>Spokesman Review</i> at:</div><div><br></div><div><a href="https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/jan/13/inslee-deploys-national-guard-to-help-sacred-heart/">https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/jan/13/inslee-deploys-national-guard-to-help-sacred-heart/</a></div><div><br></div><div>—————————————————</div><div><br></div><div><h1 class="f3 f2-l sans-serif mt0 mb2 fw8 lh-solid" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 2.25rem; margin: 0px 0px 0.5rem; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "avenir next", avenir, helvetica, "helvetica neue", ubuntu, roboto, noto, "segoe ui", arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">National Guard deployed to help Sacred Heart; Inslee pauses nonurgent procedures statewide</h1></div><div><br></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">OLYMPIA – Washington is deploying the National Guard to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane and pausing all nonurgent procedures statewide, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Hospitals across the state are at or nearing capacity, Inslee said. An ongoing staffing crisis and increase in COVID-19 cases due to the omicron variant has pushed hospitals to near breaking points. Spokane health officials <a href="https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/jan/12/spokane-county-icus-at-100-occupancy-as-new-daily" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 68, 158); text-decoration: none;">warned Wednesday</span></a> that hospitals in the county are at 97% occupancy, while intensive care units are full.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Statewide, COVID hospitalizations are now exceeding average high counts seen during the delta variant surge last fall, and as more patients with COVID are needing treatment, staffing is stretched thin.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">“Hospitals and doctors have told us their systems really are now in crisis,” Inslee said. “We are responding to those concerns today in ways we can help.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Inslee is calling on the Washington State National Guard to deploy 100 nonclinical personnel across the state to aid in emergency departments and provide COVID-19 testing teams.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The Guard members will likely arrive by Jan. 24 at the latest, Gen. Bret Daugherty said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">“We’re moving as quickly as we can,” Daugherty said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The Guard will be sending a nonclinical support team to Sacred Heart’s emergency department next week, and Providence officials expressed gratitude for the support, noting the extreme stress the hospital and emergency rooms are under.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Those in the emergency departments will help with nonmedical tasks to alleviate the current “crowded and chaotic situation,” according to Inslee’s office. Some will be deployed to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children’s Hospital . Others will go to hospitals in Everett, Yakima and Wenatchee.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Those helping with testing will set up new sites outside of hospitals. They will be based in Olympia, Richland, Seattle and Tacoma. Additional sites are being set up in King and Snohomish counties, according to Inslee’s office.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">It will likely take a week or so to get the testing sites up and running, Inslee said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Inslee also announced Thursday he is requiring hospitals across the state to halt nonurgent procedures for four weeks. The pause will allow as much capacity and as many staff to be dedicated to emergent patients in the hospital as possible, Inslee said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Last week, the Washington State Medical Association, along with a statewide chapter of emergency physicians, <a href="https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/jan/06/were-at-our-breaking-point-washington-physicians-a" target="_blank"><span style="color: rgb(0, 68, 158); text-decoration: none;">sent the governor and Department of Health a letter</span></a> asking for immediate assistance to address the staffing crisis. They asked the governor to deploy the National Guard to help with nonmedical needs. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Most hospitals, including those in Spokane County, are experiencing staffing shortages in all parts of their facilities due to people being exposed to the new variant or testing positive for the virus. The pandemic added significant stress and exhaustion for health care workers, exacerbating staffing shortages that pre-date the pandemic.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The medical association also asked for more incentives for long-term care facilities to take patients, and changes in the guardianship law, which requires a family member with legal guardianship to sign off before moving a patient out of a hospital.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Many hospitals have patients they could discharge to a long-term care facility or adult family home, but barriers exist, from those guardianship laws to prior authorization needed from state agencies.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Inslee announced multiple actions to help in discharging patients to long-term care facilities. Long-term care providers also face staff shortages, which makes it more difficult for hospitals to discharge patients to those facilities.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The National Guard will not be deployed to long-term care facilities at this time, but the state will be contracting additional staff to help admit patients, perform assessments and work on transition planning.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><br></div>—————————————————<div><div><br><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Mask-up, Moscow, because . . .</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">http://www.MoscowCares.net</span></div><div><br></div><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom Hansen</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow, Idaho</span></div></div><div><br></div><div>“A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met.”</div><div>- Roy E. Stolworthy</div><div></div></div></div></div></body></html>