St. Michael Medical Center in Silverdale is asking for the public’s help as record patient loads skyrocket, along with setting the record straight regarding end-of-life and reproductive care.
To keep numbers down, if you are unsure if you should go to the Emergency Department, it has an online tool to help you determine which care setting is most appropriate.
It can help you decide if you should go to your primary care doctor, an urgent/walk-in care facility or the hospital. The link is vmfh.org/our-services/urgent-walk-in-care
St. Michael also asks that people receive vaccinations for flu and COVID to reduce the risk of severe illness and minimize their spread.
Three respiratory viruses are putting a strain on St. Michael along with other hospitals in Puget Sound.
Hospitals are packed, and St. Michael has activated surge plans, including extending staffing, using temporary bed locations and boarding patients, their website says.
The flu, COVID and RSV viruses are hitting the pediatric units particularly hard. The viruses also have hit hospital staff hard; the number out on quarantine has increased 70% in the past week.
To deal with the overload, St. Michael has added beds in its Surgical Admissions and Day Unit. It has given staff incentives to work extra shifts, along with hiring travel staff. It is having to triage patients to make sure those with the most urgent needs are treated first, so there could be long delays for others, the website says.
Meanwhile, while St. Michael was unavailable for comment on a recent story about reproduction and end-of-life services, it has since provided information on those topics. The information comes from Kelly Campbell, division vice president of Marketing and Communications for Virginia Mason Franciscan Health.
Her email says Virginia Mason practices are aligned and in compliance with state law regarding health care for women’s reproductive health, including miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy and sexual assault. It does not provide elective abortions. Medically necessary care for pregnant women is always provided, even if it results in termination of a pregnancy.
Virginia Mason also adheres to patients’ wishes as expressed in advance directives, including Do-Not-Resuscitate services.
