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Randall Children's Hospital implements crisis standards of care

Cindy Hill, RN, Vice President, and Chief Nursing Officer, Randall Children's Hospital 
Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022

Making decisions about the allocation of critical care resources is heart-wrenching. For Legacy Health front-line health care workers, healing and caring is at the center of our mission to serve our patients and our communities. Health care teams show up every day to help heal people, and every single life is valued.
 
Today, Legacy Health is entering crisis standards of care for pediatric care to address the overwhelming demand for hospital services in response to the surge in patients with respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV. This action only impacts Randall Children's Hospital at Legacy Emanuel.
 
Crisis standards of care, defined by the Oregon Health Authority's Oregon Interim Crisis Care Tool, occur when "critical care resources are severely limited, the number of patients presenting for critical care exceeds capacity, and there is no option to transfer to other critical care facilities." As a regional health care system, we have met this standard today.
 
This has been an unprecedented respiratory viral season, both in the timing and the number of children affected. At Randall Children's Hospital, we are implementing safe solutions to meet the community demand for pediatric beds, including pulling staff to work extra shifts. To create capacity, we've postponed some non-urgent pediatric procedures and will continue to use creative staffing options to ensure we can provide the best possible care through this crisis.
 
We ask for the public's help to preserve hospital capacity for those who need it most by 
 
  • Avoiding contact with those who are sick
  • Washing hands frequently
  • Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces
  • Staying up to date on all routine vaccinations, including flu shots and COVID-19 boosters
  • Limiting infants' exposure to frequent visitors and crowds, especially if they are at risk for severe illness and/or younger than 12 weeks of age. 

Randall Children's Hospital is grateful for your care and patience as we work with the Oregon Health Authority and our partner health care systems in Oregon and Southwest Washington to respond to these challenges and help ensure children have access to the care they need. 


About Legacy Health
Legacy Health is a large, nonprofit, integrated health system with seven hospital campuses serving Oregon and Southwest Washington, including a full-service children’s hospital and a behavioral health emergency services facility. Legacy also operates an extensive ambulatory services network that includes 70 clinic locations and offers a broad continuum of care. The organization is a $3 billion + community system of care with over 14,000 employees in two states. Known for its commitment to high-quality, patient-centered care, Legacy Health has earned a strong reputation for clinical excellence, community partnership, and mission-driven service in the Pacific Northwest. For more information, visit www.legacyhealth.org.