Central Washington Hospital pushed to limit Thursday due to non-COVID-19 hospitalizations – wenatcheeworld.com

WENATCHEE Central Washington Hospital was pushed to its absolute limit Thursday morning after experiencing a surge of hospitalizations not related to COVID-19 that filled all its acute care beds.

During this critical moment, capacity hit 98% with beds available only in pediatrics, the labor delivery unit, and the mother baby unit, according to Andrew Canning, spokesperson for Confluence Health.

Acute care beds include beds in the intensive care and progressive care units.

Due to the surge, seven people had to wait to be admitted into the hospitals emergency department, Canning said in an email.

Canning also said that medical facilities in the state and North Central Washington region are also close to full, partially due to COVID-19, but largely because of other chronic medical conditions requiring attention like cancer, heart disease, stroke and infections other than COVID-19.

The region has very little to no surge capacity for patients either with COVID-19 or non-COVID-19 medical conditions, Canning said in an email.

As of May 27, about 70% of staffed acute care beds were being occupied by patients in North Central Washington, according to data from the state Department of Health. Around 84% of acute care beds across the state were occupied by patients.

Chelan, Douglas, Grant, and Okanogan counties together make up one of eight Emergency Medical Services and Trauma Regions, according to the state Department of Health.

According to the Healthy Washington COVID-19 reopening plan, the state would begin to rollback phases if the statewide ICU capacity ever reached 90%. Around 83% of ICU beds were filled as of May 27, according to data from the state Department of Health.

In North Central Washingont, about 89% of ICU beds were occupied, according to DOH data.

We are on a good, downward path, but we are not quite out of the woods yet, Canning said in an email.

Canning also said that Central Washington Hospital continues to see severe cases of COVID-19, and more than 97% of these severe COVID-19 hospital admissions coming from unvaccinated individuals.

There are a couple rare patients with severe immunodeficiency like those undergoing chemotherapy or organ transplant recipients that have been admitted into the hospital for severe COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated, according to Canning.

The Chelan-Douglas Health District is asking that the community be cautious with celebrations going into the Memorial Day weekend to give local health providers a break, according to a health district press release.

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Central Washington Hospital pushed to limit Thursday due to non-COVID-19 hospitalizations - wenatcheeworld.com