As Washington Governor Jay Inslee noted in his press conference January 13th, all hospitals across the state are under extreme stress due to the current COVID surge.
Providence is grateful to Governor Inslee for activating the National Guard to help with the current surge, which will be sending a much-needed non-clinical support team to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in January.
The National Guard will offer welcome relief to some of our overworked caregivers, and we hope their presence will underscore the importance of getting vaccinated, boosted, and taking other actions like social distancing and masking to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and further hospitalizations.
We appreciate the support being offered by Governor Inslee and his team, the Washington National Guard General, and the brave men and women who have offered their time to serve their community in this time of great need.
On January 13th, Governor Inslee also announced other actions to help alleviate the staffing crisis hospitals across Washington are facing.
Prior to the governor’s announcement, Providence had been curtailing non-urgent procedures due to staffing and other constraints. We are in the process of reviewing the governor’s decree and making additional operational adjustments as needed.
We look forward to returning to normal operations as soon as possible. People with urgent conditions should continue to seek care in our emergency department—the governor’s guidance does NOT apply to emergency treatment for life-threatening injuries or conditions such as strokes, heart attacks, or anything else that warrants immediate care.
Learn more about steps the state is taking to support hospitals here.
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