Washington hospital leaders say don’t delay getting necessary health care

Washington state’s 112 hospitals and health systems launched a public education campaign Thursday to show people how to safely access care during the COVID-19 pandemic and why they should not delay that care.

Many state residents have delayed care even when their symptoms or injuries are emergencies, said Beth Zborowski, senior vice president for membership engagement and communications at the Washington State Hospital Association.

National and local surveys have found that people are delaying care because they are concerned about exposure to COVID-19 at a health care facility or they believe care is only available for COVID-19 patients.

“We’re seeing the results of those delays; people are sicker and have more serious injuries when they show up in our emergency departments,” said Dr. Stuart Freed, chief medical officer at Wenatchee-based Confluence Health.

“And many times, those injuries and illnesses could have been treated in a doctor’s office or a clinic. Unfortunately, those delays have resulted in more significant problems for the patient going forward,” Freed added at a press briefing.

Dr. Francis Riedo, medical director of infection control at EvergreenHealth in Kirkland, said there has been a dramatic decline in clinic visits since the coronavirus outbreak began.

Over the past eight to 10 weeks, EvergreenHealth has taken several steps at its 318-bed acute care medical center in Kirkland, Riedo said.

“When you come to our hospital, you will notice that you will be screened at the entrance site. There will be a temperature check, a symptom check and we are asking everybody to wear a mask.

“Once you come to our clinic, you will notice that there are spacers in place asking people to remain 6 feet apart, plexiglass shields have been put in place and there’s a much more vigorous cleaning process,” he said.

On March 19, Inslee ordered a halt to elective surgeries and dental services to ensure that health care workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic had enough personal protective equipment.

The governor’s office on April 29 offered guidance to hospitals and health care providers on what services, procedures and surgeries qualify as “non-urgent” that could move forward. The hospital association has said those include cancer screenings.

Inslee’s proclamation banning elective surgeries expires on Monday.

Zborowski said the hospital association along with several other health care groups are negotiating with the governor’s office on how to safely resume elective surgeries and dental services.

“It may still be a phased approach after [Monday]. We don’t know if it will be back to business as usual. As with everything in COVID-19, it’s a test to see what happens and then re-evaluate,” she said.

This story was originally published May 14, 2020 at 6:25 PM.