Hospitals in Idaho, Montana and Alaska have begun rationing resources due to the surge of COVID-19 cases straining health care facilities and forcing doctors to make difficult decisions.
A statewide “crisis standards of care” in Idaho was enacted along with similar measures at individual hospitals in Montana and Alaska, which allow for health care professionals to allocate ICU beds to the patients most likely to survive. Other patients may be given different care, or in extreme cases, palliative care.
“The situation is dire — we don’t have enough resources to adequately treat the patients in our hospitals, whether you are there for COVID-19 or a heart attack or because of a car accident,” Idaho Department of Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen said in statement.
At St. Peter’s Health hospital in Montana, officials said the situation is worse than at earlier points in the pandemic as the ICU and morgue are full. At Providence Alaska Medical Center, the state's largest hospital, officials began prioritizing resources earlier this week.
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