No ‘end in sight,’ Hospitals seek return to COVID-19 emergency orders, staffing help
Hospital leaders in Kansas and Missouri are asking for new emergency declarations to alleviate staffing concerns amid the latest spike of COVID-19.
“I don’t really see an end in sight,” said Kim Megow, chief medical officer at HCA Midwest. “An emergency declaration in both states would be extremely helpful.”
In a call of KC area and Kansas hospital officials Wednesday morning Megow, said an emergency declaration would allow hospitals additional flexibility in moving staff around and opening up more beds.
Additionally, she said, it would once again allow the state to provide direct aid in the form of national guard members to assist hospitals.
Kansas lawmakers declined to extend the state’s emergency declaration in June. Last week, Missouri Governor Mike Parson announced the emergency status was no longer needed.
Parson could unilaterally impose a new declaration. Gov. Laura Kelly would need approval from leaders in the GOP-controlled Legislature.
In a statement Kelly spokesman Sam Coleman said the governor was assessing the situation.
“She and her staff have been in regular communication with health care leaders to determine actions the state can take to alleviate the issues at our hospitals stemming from the latest COVID-19 surge. The Governor is reviewing both short-term measures that can be implemented, as well as longer-term solutions that will require partnership with the legislature,” Coleman said.
A spokesperson for Parson did not immediately respond to questions about new emergencies.
Sam Antonio, Chief Medical Officer at Ascension Via Christi Hospitals in Kansas, said an emergency order would provide more flexibility in the state.
Additionally, he said hospitals needed more help from the state with staffing and urged more latitude for local health officials to issue public health orders.
“We need to ask all the stakeholders to look at what the state could offer from support to the hospitals,” Antonio said.
Currently, local public health orders in Kansas must be approved by county commissions. The law establishing that requirement is currently under review by the Kansas Supreme Court.
In Missouri, ending the emergency order also makes it more difficult for local governments to enact public health directives such as indoor mask mandates or restrictions on large events and business capacity. Under a law Republican legislators passed last year, such rules must be approved by a county or city council and renewed every month. Without a gubernatorial declaration, they must be renewed every three weeks by a two-thirds vote rather than a simple majority.
Hospital officials Wednesday expressed concern over alarming increases in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
On Tuesday, the Kansas City Metro area reached it’s largest average case increase since the start of the pandemic according to data maintained by The Star. As of Tuesday, the region was averaging 2,100 new COVID-19 cases per day.
The Star’s Jeanne Kuang contributed to this report.
This story was originally published January 5, 2022 at 11:22 AM.
