Surgeries paused, National Guard deployed to assist hospitals
OLYMPIA — The Washington National Guard will deploy to Providence Regional Medical Center Everett and elsewhere in the state to help medical emergency departments overwhelmed by the recent coronavirus surge, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday.
And to free up staff for patients needing emergency care, the governor is ordering a four-week pause on non-urgent medical procedures statewide. Physicians will have discretion over what surgeries can go forward.
“We think that’s a reasonable time, hopefully, to get through the peak of this,” Inslee said.
At a news conference, he said his actions are in response to hospital leaders who say they are in a crisis situation as they try to cope with a dramatic increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations and a dire shortage of staff needed to treat patients. This week, local officials reported Snohomish County’s ICU capacity at 95% and its overall hospital capacity at 97%.
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/surgeries-paused-national-guard-deployed-to-assist-hospitals/