Anchorage, Alaska (AP) — Alaska’s Third Hospital has recently recorded the worst COVID-19 diagnostic rate in the United States, burdening a limited medical system and providing distribution care as needed. Established a crisis protocol to enable it.
From September 22nd to 29th, one in 84 people in Alaska was diagnosed with COVID-19, according to data collected by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering. The next highest percentage was 1 in 164 in West Virginia. ..
Fairbanks Memorial Hospital said Friday that it had activated crisis standard treatment policies due to a significant shortage of beds, staffing, and monoclonal antibody therapy, in addition to the inability to transfer patients to other facilities. ..
In mid-September, the state’s largest hospital, Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, launched this policy, similar to Yukon Kuskowim Health Corporation, a hospital in Bethel, southwestern Alaska.
“The transition to standard crisis treatment is not something we downplay,” said Dr. Angelique Ramirez, Chief Medical Officer at Fairbanks, in a statement. “This is in response to a very serious surge in COVID in our community.”
The move took place on the same day the state reported 1,044 new cases, 108 of which occurred in the Fairbanks region. The hospital says 35% of patients on Saturday were being treated for COVID-19.
Since March 2020, Alaska has had a total of 110,850 COVID-19 cases with a population of approximately 731,000. Over 24,000 new cases were reported in September as the delta variant caused a surge in cases in Alaska. In Alaska, there was no state-wide mask obligation.
A total of 2,432 people were hospitalized and 557 Alaskans died, according to the State Department of Health.
Throughout the state, 60% of eligible Alaskans are fully vaccinated. Fairbanks North Star is the third lowest vaccinated region in Alaska, with just under 52% of eligible residents being vaccinated.
Foundation Health Partners staff, who own the Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, encourage community members to wear masks and be vaccinated if possible.
Ramirez said the decision to move to crisis standards was due to a number of factors, including low immunization rates and widespread communities due to the large number of patients waiting to be hospitalized.
“This affects the care of fractures, trauma, heart attacks, strokes, COVIDs and all patients in need of medical care,” Ramirez said. “The care we can provide is very fluid and can vary from day to day and even from hour to hour, depending on the availability of resources within the system and in the state.”
She also emphasized that people do not delay medical care when the system reaches its limits. “You will always receive the best and most compassionate care we can offer at that moment,” Ramirez said.
The states have contracts with approximately 500 medical professionals from 48 states in the continental United States to alleviate staff shortages.
Alaska’s Third Hospital Calls Crisis Management Mode with COVID Spike | WGN Radio 720
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