Why local hospitals are overcrowded

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Harborview Medical Center reported Thursday it will temporarily accept only patients that are in urgent need of their specialized care.

The hospital said it had 560 patients in a hospital set up for 413, and that 100 of those patients are medically stable and in need of long-term, post-acute care, but have not yet been able to be transferred.

Hospitals statewide warned about this problem in July. Hospital leaders said it persists today.

Hospitals provide acute care - treatment for an emergent need such as a heart attack. Other facilities provide post-acute care, such as rehabilitation, or services such as memory care.

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Just over a year ago I was diagnosed with a major medical situation. I was hospitalized 10 times this past year with the average day being over 7 days.

The last time I was hospitalized I was "admitted" in the emergency room but that was in name only.. I spent the next three out of the five days in pain, wrenching, on a gurney in the ER ... not receiving a lot of the care that I needed because there was no bed upstairs.

One thing I did note is that Harborview is full of double occupancy, en suite bathroom in many countries there are wards where 10 to 20 beds will be in these cubicles with drapes curtains. There is absolutely no loss of care just because you don't have a room that looks like a Hilton.

Hopefully hospitals will take this into account as a design new buildings for the future. For a hospital that is supposed to be the major Trauma Center for all US states in the PNW from Alaska to Montana this was a odd and sad thing to observe.

IntriguedLioness

Start paying caregivers a decent wage. It is difficult and important work.

TraTiel

I wish every nurse in Washington state the very best! Please stay strong! And thank you for doing so!

carolyn

I know one thing, I need tests done for melanoma and it has been 2 months and I can't get into the hospital to get tests done. All the clinics are so overwhelmed I can't get appts any closer than 2 months away. I have had them change my cat scan appt twice. I'm facing cancer and cannot get treatment. I can't even get the test completed. Super scared and don't know what to do. I pray that the melanoma doesn't spread before I get answers. I pray no one else is facing the same.

lajuanaraye

Remember about four decades ago when they told us this was the way to go! Seems the 'way to go ', got up and went. We had a stellar system in the 50's and early 60's compared with what we have now.

awen

They fire all the nurses who wouldn't succumb, now they cry foul?

akou

The unspoken truth of this is it's another "homeless" issue. Nursing homes can refuse patients, and there is no reason any facility would volunteer to take those "people". most are equipped with semi private rooms. Raise your hand if you want a "homeless person" as a roommate..

diggermcleod