UW Medicine’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) reports on our ability to maintain normal operations using a scale from “monitoring” to “high level of activation” based on information about community transmission rates, hospital admissions, staffing capacity, space availability, PPE supplies and other impacts on the health system.
This update provides a quick look at some of the key data used by the EOC to determine UW Medicine’s current level of activation. For more detailed reports, you can review the EOC’s situation status reports.
EOC Level of Activation
Jan. 18, 2022: EOC level of activation is high. COVID-19 patients represent 16.94% of hospital admissions. UW Medicine hospitals are caring for 188 patients with COVID-19. As of yesterday, 596 employees were on leave due to COVID-19 isolation and quarantine.
UW Medicine COVID-19 Inpatients
King County and Washington State Epidemiology
King County: Public Health – Seattle & King County is reporting 288,808 total confirmed cases and 2,246 deaths as of Jan. 18. The number of new positive tests is currently at 1,426.4/7 days/100,000 people (community transmission level = high).
Washington: The Department of Health reports 1,041,456 total cases and 10,196 deaths as of Jan. 13.
Employees Out of Office Due to COVID-19
EOC Priorities
- Visitor Policy: UW Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center are temporarily restricting all routine visitation in our hospitals as of January 13.
- Surgeries and Procedures: In alignment with Gov. Jay Inslee’s emergency order, UW Medicine is postponing all outpatient and inpatient non-urgent surgeries and procedures through February 17.
- Telehealth: UW Medicine’s clinics are shifting as much care as possible to telehealth through Monday, Jan. 31.
Stay Informed
In the Media:
- Hospitals in contingency staffing mode, Lisa Brandenburg, President, UW Medicine Hospitals & Clinics, UW Medicine Newsroom
- What Patients Can Learn With Confidence From One Negative Rapid Test (Hint: Very Little), Dr. Patrick Mathias, Laboratory Medicine, Kaiser Health News
Ongoing communications:
- Emergency Operations Updates: Scheduled for Tuesdays and Fridays.
- Dr. John Lynch COVID-19 Update: Scheduled for Thursdays.
- Town Halls: Generally scheduled for 3 p.m. on Fridays; Check your email for updates (recordings available).
- Community Conversations: Check you email for dates and times (recordings available).
- EOC Situation Reports: Posted on the UW Medicine intranet (AMC login required).
- COVID-19 Updates: Posted on The Huddle.
Sincerely,
UW Medicine Leadership
