hospitals

Cases of pediatric RSV are spiking around the state. RSV is a virus that is usually seen around this time of the year, but this year has been worse than usual. Hospitals in Colorado have set up a triage center where all hospitals statewide have to report available pediatric beds.Meanwhile, Wyoming is experiencing a surge but not overcapacity said Cheyenne Regional Medical Officer Dr. Jeff Storey.

The pandemic amplified nursing homes' long-standing workforce issues. Those staffing shortages persist, as nearly a quarter of nursing homes in the U.S. report not having enough nurses or aides.

The Rawlins hospital will be ending its labor and child delivery services on June 15. This is a result of the pandemic putting the hospital in a financial crunch.

In Wyoming, the major effects of COVID-19 took hold several months after the initial discovery and rise in cases in other parts of the country. And while the state's hospitals have ebbed and flowed with patients since then, the impact and demands on the healthcare infrastructure has differed from place to place. Wyoming Public Radio's Hugh Cook reports on the situation at smaller hospitals in Johnson and Weston counties.

About 96% of people now live within an hour of life-saving stroke care, but the Mountain West has the worst access in the country. That’s according to new research from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

The nation is experiencing a blood shortage. Companies that collect blood in Wyoming are also desperate for more donors.

At one point earlier this month, Teton County had the highest COVID-19 case rate per capita in the country. Many other Western mountain towns were also at the forefront of the Omicron surge in our region, but hospitalizations and deaths have so far remained low in the resort communities. KHOL's Will Walkey reports.

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the federal health care worker coronavirus vaccine mandate to go through. A lower court had put the mandate on pause in late November. Now any employee, volunteer, or contractor working at health care facilities receiving Medicaid or Medicare funding have to be fully vaccinated or provide an exemption by Feb. 28. Leading Age and Wyoming Hospital Association President Eric Boley told Wyoming Public Radio's Kamila Kudelska they expect to see staff shortages in hospitals and nursing homes border to border in the state.

Omicron cases are surging across the Mountain West. In several states, more than 80% of ICU beds are filled. While these COVID-19 infections tend to have milder overall symptoms for individuals, they’re still landing people in the hospital and stressing health care systems and workers.

Last week, the Supreme Court allowed the federal health care worker coronavirus vaccine mandate to go through. A lower court had put the mandate on pause in late November. Now any employee, volunteer or contractor working at health care facilities receiving Medicaid or Medicare funding has to be fully vaccinated, be tested weekly or provide an exemption by Feb. 28.