State activates crisis standards of care staffing for health care systems

COLORADO (KRDO) -- Tuesday, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reactivated crisis standards of care for staffing of health care systems throughout the state.

According to the state, crisis standards of care are guidelines for how the medical community should allocate scarce resources. With the reactivation, the state says hospitals are allowed to implement staffing solutions to best meet the increasing medical needs of their communities.

Now, health care systems can use the crisis standards of care to best manage the influx of COVID-19 patients and other patients in need of medical attention.

“We want to be sure Coloradans know they can and should continue to access necessary health care. If you’re sick and need care, please go get it,” said Dr. Eric France, Chief Medical Officer. “Activating staffing crisis standards of care allows health care systems to maximize the care they can provide in their communities with the staff they have available.”

The objectives of the Crisis Standards of Care for Health Care Staffing are:

• Expand the availability of health care workers and health care resources to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and to serve patients seeking non-COVID-19 related care
• Assure that guardrails and supports are in place to optimize workplace safety, health care worker resilience in the face of moral and physical stress, patient safety, and health outcomes of COVID-19 and non-COVID patients

In addition to reactivating crisis of care standards, Governor Jared Polis issued an executive order that authorizes CDPHE to direct facilities to transfer patients to prevent overwhelming the capacity of a facility and its staff. Hospitals can also transfer non-COVID patients if that helps address capacity needs.

At this time, the state is not activating crisis standards of care for emergency medical services, hospital and acute care facilities, hospital care providers, specialty patient populations, or personal protective equipment.

For more information, click here.