MOSES LAKE, Wash. — Samaritan Hospital medical staff and the leadership team at Moses Lake made the decision to postpone all elective surgical procedures starting on Sept. 22 due to an increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations.
A press release from the Samaritan Hospital website said, "the operational decision comes in light of the sustained staffing strains caused by the ongoing surge of COVID-19 in the greater Moses Lake community."
The Samaritan hospital receives about 20 COVID-19 patients a day.
"Samaritan Hospital has 49 beds, 12 of which are designated for labor and delivery – leaving 38 medical beds available to care for patients in need of hospitalization," the press release said.
Samaritan’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Carter, and Samaritan’s Interim Peri-Operative Medical Director Dr. Matt Belan, said on the press release to the medical staff community they are facing an unprecedented challenge.
The hospital will provide surgical care for urgent cases such as fractures, cancer care, infections and other cases where a delay in treatment will cause harm.
"Samaritan’s Intensive Care Unit has often operated at 100% capacity or greater for the past several weeks, serving the highest level of care for our critically ill patients," Belan said.
“The staff of Samaritan Healthcare has responded to this crisis with unrelenting dedication, care and professionalism. The teamwork, collaboration and willingness to go the extra mile has truly been inspirational, humbling and exemplary of a community of healthcare providers coming together to meet the challenge,” said Carter and Belan. “We are truly grateful for the work that has been done and will need to continue to be done in the coming days and weeks.”
The temporary pause on elective surgical procedures is set to be in place until Oct.1.
Doctors will evaluate the needs of the patients on a weekly basis based on the severity of the illness, staffing availability, and operational resources that directly impact the ability to provide surgical care, the press release said.
Samaritan CEO Theresa Sullivan said the hospital wants to ensure people in the community receive care during the shift.
“Although staffing has become a significant challenge, we are still committed to providing care for those that need us most throughout the pandemic and everyday life,” said Sullivan. “Please don’t delay care. We have already seen that delaying care can worsen the patient’s condition. Our teams are doing everything they can to provide care to our patients and community.”
As of Wednesday, there are 17 patients with COVID-19 in the hospital, according to the Samaritan Healthcare Facebook website.
For more information, visit the Health Alert link on Samaritan Healthcare’s website or call the hospital 24-hour nurse hotline at 509-764-3331.
