Idaho Matters

Idaho health teams 'exhausted' but 'resilient' in the face of rising omicron cases

Idaho Matters gets your COVID-19 questions answered from two medical experts after the southern half of the state re-enters crisis standards of care in hospitals.

Broadcast on:: 26 Jan 2022

Hospital, COVID-19, omicron — Data from Idaho Health and Welfare show how vaccinated Idahoans spend less time in the hospital and are less likely to end up in the ICU.( Idaho Department of Health and Welfare)

Once again most of Idaho is back in crisis standards of care, after state health officials reactivated those standards earlier this week. It’s only been four months since the delta variant surge made it necessary for health care facilities to need this designation.

But state health leaders say this time is different. Tuesday during a news briefing, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppeson said our state’s entire health system is nearing a tipping point due to hospital staffing shortages and a dire blood supply shortage. The omicron surge is to blame for the sharp increase in cases and hospitalizations.

Idaho Matters gets your COVID-19 questions answered from two medical experts:

Dr. David Pate, former CEO of St. Luke's Health System and a current member of the state's COVID-19 task force
Dr. Rob Cavagnol, President of St. Luke's Clinic