New Mexico Hospitals Declare ‘Crisis‘

Over the last month, at least six New Mexico hospitals have declared "crisis standards of care" (CSC) for their facilities amid a continued high number of COVID-19 cases and sick patients more than a year into the pandemic. New Mexico reported 9,892 COVID cases between 11-16 and 11-22, and an additional 4,991 cases over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. CSC is a rare and serious designation, allowing for hospitals, in part, to pick and choose who they provide medical care for and cancel or delay "non-medically necessary procedures." So far, New Mexico facilities say they're not rationing or "deallocating care," but what would it take to get there? What does Crisis Standards of Care actually mean for our local facilities? This week, Chris and Gabby interview Dr. Jason Mitchell, Chief Medical Officer for the state's largest healthcare provider, Presbyterian Healthcare Services. Mitchell explains how Presbyterian is using the CSC designation, if he foresees a time when the hospitals have to ration medical care, and provides a detailed picture of the grim reality inside New Mexico's hospitals. Got a question, comment, or suggestion? Email Chris and Gabby at [email protected] and [email protected]. For more on this episode, visit KRQE.com/podcasts.