Seattle Children’s is experiencing high inpatient and Emergency Department (ED) volumes and staffing shortages in some areas. Likewise, hospital occupancy across Washington state has been extremely high for weeks. Many hospitals are reporting occupancies over 100%, significant ED boarding of inpatients, and delays in transferring patients to higher levels of care. A forecasted increase in admissions for COVID-19 for the next several weeks will add to the strain.
To fulfill our mission of caring for as many children within our institution as possible, we are actively preparing our ED and intensive care units for surges, including the possibility of young adult patients transferred from other hospitals.
Call to Action: Please manage patients in outpatient settings whenever possible to help reduce visits to Seattle Children’s ED and hospital admissions.
