Crisis standards activated for southern Idaho health systems

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho public health officials have activated crisis standards of care for much of southern Idaho, citing major staffing and blood supply shortages.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare activated the crisis standards for the southwest, central and south central health districts, which encompass 18 counties including the Boise, Nampa and Twin Falls metro regions. Crisis standards of care allow hospitals to triage health care as needed when they don't have the capacity to deal with an influx of patients.

“The highly contagious Omicron variant has thrown us a curve ball,” said Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen in a prepared statement. “Once again, the situation in our hospitals and health systems is dire — we don't have enough resources to adequately treat patients.”

There are high numbers of health care staffers unable to work because they or family members have contracted or been exposed to COVID-19, and traveling nurses and other contract health care providers are harder to come by because so many other states are also dealing with staffing shortages. A nationwide shortage of blood products is also hurting healthcare systems, according to the state health department, forcing many to implement blood conservation strategies.