SPOKANE, Wash. — Governor Jay Inslee announced Thursday that he would be deploying 100 members of the Washington National Guard to help perform non-medical duties in hospitals across the state, one of which being Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children's Hospital in Spokane.
The guard members, which Inslee said the hospitals requested, will help with those tasks so that providers can be available to provide emergency care and testing as hospitals across the state are swamped with both COVID and non-COVID patients, Inslee said. He said about 18 percent of all patients in Washington state have COVID-19, and 22 percent of people in intensive care units are COVID-positive.
At the same time, Inslee said hospitals are struggling with staffing due to more and more healthcare workers testing positive for the virus. He also is ordering hospitals to meet certain standards when it comes to a minimum level of PPE for workers.
Inslee also said the state could be looking at the spike in cases and hospitalizations for some time.
"We do believe we are in for several weeks and very hard slogging in Washington state, where all of us have to pitch in together because we don't know where that peak will be," Inslee said. "It's likely to be later than many places because this hit us later than many places in the United States."
Inslee also announced a four-week pause on non-emergency procedures in hospitals. However, doctors can order a procedure be done even if it isn't normally considered urgent if the provider feels delaying the procedure will lead to severe health complications.
This comes in an effort, the governor said, to make sure emergency care continues to be available.
"Not just for Omicron patients, but for heart attack victims, for car crash victims, for gunshot victims, they all need help right now," Inslee said. "This is difficult, but it is a necessary decision to make sure people get access that is life-saving right now."
Providence released a statement after the announcement today, which is replicated in full below:
“We are grateful to Governor Inslee for activating the National Guard to help with the current surge, which will be sending a much-needed non-clinical support team to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center next week. The National Guard will offer welcome relief to some of our overworked caregivers, and we hope their presence will underscore the importance of getting vaccinated, boosted, and taking other actions like social distancing and masking to prevent the spread and further hospitalizations. Like most hospitals across the nation, Sacred Heart Medical Center is under extreme stress due to the current COVID surge, and we appreciate the support being offered by Governor Inslee and his team, the Washington National Guard General, and the brave men and women who have offered their time to serve their community in this time of great need.”
Washington Department of Health Deputy Secretary Lacy Fegrebach said those who are unvaccinated are 8 to 11 times more likely to suffer severe illness from COVID-19.
Inslee encouraged people to get vaccinated or boosted, and continue to take part in measures such as mask wearing.