January 10, 2022 3:15 a.m.

On Friday, the Oregon Health Authority provided the state’s hospitals with an interim crisis care tool to help them prioritize treatment if they reach a point when critical care beds, specialized equipment, such as ventilators, and other resources become scarce due to surging COVID-19 admissions. https://www.oregon.gov/odot/projects/pages/project-details.aspx?project=18578\

OHA said hospitals may activate crisis standards of care if their critical care resources are severely limited, the number of patients presenting for critical care exceeds capacity, and there is no option to transfer patients to other critical care facilities.

OHA said hospitals may implement the crisis care tool, – or one of their own that is consistent with Oregon’s Principles in Promoting Health Equity in Resource Constrained Events – if they have taken specific steps to extend their capacity to deliver care. Those steps include stockpiling supplies, delaying non-urgent care, and repurposing existing beds and staff that are not typically used to provide critical care.

Under the interim triage tool, all patients who can potentially benefit from treatment will be offered care, if health care resources are sufficient. If hospital staff, beds and treatment are insufficient, all patients will be individually assessed according to the best available objective medical evidence. According to the tool:

*No one will be denied care based on stereotypes, assumptions about any individual’s quality of life or judgements about an individual’s “worth” based on the presence or absence of disabilities.

*Care decisions should be based on the likelihood of survival to hospital discharge.

More information on this plan is linked: https://sharedsystems.dhsoha.state.or.us/DHSForms/Served/le3513.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery