At least four hospitals or health systems have enacted crisis standards of care in the last week as staff shortages and rising COVID-19 patient volumes continue to strain capacity.
1. Holy Cross Medical Center in Taos, N.M., enacted crisis standards of care Jan. 14, according to Taos News. This is the first time the critical access hospital has implemented these standards during the pandemic.
2. Nebraska Medicine in Omaha activated its crisis standards of care plan Jan. 12. The health system is in the first stage of the plan, which means the hospital may postpone surgeries, deny patient transfers and pause clinical trials, among other actions.
3. Presbyterian Española (N.M.) Hospital enacted crisis standards of care last week, becoming the ninth medical facility in the state to do so in the past two months, according to the Sante Fe New Mexican.
4. Meritus Health in Robinwood, Md., declared crisis standards of care Jan. 14. The organization will expedite discharges, transition to telehealth care when possible and redeploy staff to areas of greatest need under the crisis protocols.