Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Houston Hospitals Near Capacity With Unvaxxed As Tropical Storm Loomed
Houston Chronicle: Houston Hospitals Brace For Tropical Storm Nicholas Amid The City's Largest COVID Surge
Local hospitals and clinics, many of which are close to capacity largely due to unvaccinated COVID-19 patients, [braced] for Tropical Storm Nicholas as it [neared] Houston Monday. Texas Children’s Hospital is no stranger to inclement weather, said Dr. Brent Kaziny, the medical director of emergency management for Texas Children's Hospital. However, the hospital faces a new set of challenges as the storm rolls in during the highest levels of pediatric COVID cases since he pandemic’s beginning. (Carballo and Gill, 9/13)
Hospitals across the U.S. have staffing shortages —
AP: Kentucky National Guard Sending 300 Members To Hospitals
The Kentucky National Guard is expanding its role in assisting hospitals during a surge of COVID-19 cases that has stressed the state’s health care infrastructure. The guard is activating 310 additional members in logistical roles to 21 hospitals across the state, the guard said in a media release. The effort began on Monday. (9/14)
AP: Washington Hospital Execs: Little Capacity To Help Idaho
Washington is facing its own COVID-19 crisis and has little capacity to help neighboring Idaho deal with an overwhelming surge of cases driven by unvaccinated people, state hospital executives and doctors said Monday. Taya Briley, executive vice president of the Washington State Hospital Association, called the situation “very sobering” during a media briefing, saying Washington faces its worst COVID wave since the pandemic began — even before big recent events like fall fairs and a return to school. (Johnson, 9/13)
Billings Gazette: Hospitals 'In A Crisis' With COVID Patients In Overflow Rooms, More Young People Hospitalized
“It’s gotten to the point that we are in a crisis,” said Billings Clinic CEO Dr. Scott Ellner. “The patients we're seeing are not only sicker, they’re younger, we’re being depleted with our workforce, and we’ve lost several people across health care. People are tired and incredibly frustrated. We’re worried that the public doesn’t understand.” This time last year, Montana was averaging 101 new cases per day and marked the beginning of the state’s initial wave. From September to November 2020, cases increased 1,085%. From July to September 2021, cases have increased 1,514%, according to data from COVID Act Now. (Schabacker, 9/13)
Crain's Detroit Business: Shortage Of Workers Causes Henry Ford Health To Eliminate 120 Patient Beds
Henry Ford Health System has reduced the number of patient beds due to a shortage of workers. The system cut about 7 percent, or 120 patient beds, from its five hospitals. The bulk of those lost beds are in Detroit and Jackson, Adnan Munkarah, the system's chief clinical officer, said Monday in a call with reporters. The loss of beds is a blow to the system as its hospitalization rate continues to rise while the nation battles the dangerous delta variant of COVID-19. (9/13)
WBALTV: Maryland Hospital Postponing Some Surgeries Amid COVID-19 Spike
Anne Arundel Medical Center has started putting off some non-emergency, elective surgeries until COVID-19 admissions start to decline. COVID-19 patients are currently occupying about 10% of all the hospital beds at AAMC, and more than 70% of them are unvaccinated. "This was a very difficult decision. This was a multi-disciplinary decision made over a period of time where we were watching our numbers," said Dr. Stephen Selinger, the hospital's chief medical officer. (9/13)
Axios: Surgeries Are Getting Delayed Again
The COVID-19 vaccination rollout led to influxes of patients returning to doctors this summer, but many surgeries are getting postponed again as the Delta variant spreads throughout unvaccinated areas. Medical providers are postponing orthopedic and less-severe outpatient procedures, and device companies are forecasting lower sales in the short term. (Herman, 9/14)
