Here’s how Kansas’ new COVID emergency order might affect your hospital experience

On Thursday, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly issued an emergency order in response to pleas from the state medical officials asking for help to alleviate the already overwhelmed health care system.

But what does this order actually mean for Kansas hospitals trying to triage this crisis, and how could it affect your hospital visit?

Help with staffing

The 15-day disaster declaration will ease certain requirements that allow a broader variety of medical professionals, including retired military, retired nurses and medical students to support hospital staff. That means that hospitals will be able to tap a wider pool of people to help provide medical care to COVID-19 patients and other patients.

The order also extends the deadlines for some required paperwork so that medical professionals can focus on providing care.

Hospital leaders said this is important because so many nurses and doctors are unable to work because they have been infected or exposed to COVID-19, and the intense workloads are leading to staff overwhelm and burnout.

Without enough staff, the hospitals haven’t been able to treat everyone who needs emergency care right when they need it.

The University of Kansas Health System has nearly 1,000 hospital employees who are out with COVID-19 or currently being tested for the virus, according to University of Kansas Health System Chief Medical Officer Steve Stites.

“I’m so thankful for Gov. Kelly’s action. This gives us the freedom to bolster workforce in the area in the way the healthcare system needs it,” said Lawrence Hospital’s Infectious Disease Physician Dr. Jennifer Schrimsher during a statewide call with medical officers on Friday.

Maybe more access to testing and vaccines

In addition to allowing more kinds of medical professionals to provide care, Stites said Kelly’s declaration will also allow health care systems to better staff, and potentially expand testing and vaccination clinics.

Hopefully more open hospital beds

The emergency declaration will allow hospitals to discharge patients into acute care facilities or skilled nursing facilities more quickly instead of needing to stay in emergency rooms. This new flexibility will free up hospital beds for new patients, HCA Midwest Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kim Megow said during Friday’s call.

Stites also pointed out that the order means hospitals won’t need to pull as many of their surgical staff or outpatient staff over to in-patient units, “So hopefully we can keep a few more operating rooms and ambulatory clinics open.”

What about your postponed elective operation?

It’s likely that the number of new medical professionals who will be able to step in and help won’t outnumber the staff that is out due to COVID-19, the doctors noted in Friday’s briefing. So rather than adding a ton of capacity, the emergency order will help hospitals get closer to breaking even on staffing.

At the University of Kansas Health System, Stites said the hospital’s ability to take care of all patients is limited since so many staff members are out.

“There are several ways this declaration can help up as far as types of staff we can use, ” Megow said.

“But let me be clear, that bucket of people is a limited number and it will help us some but it is not the end all answer to our problem.”

For people who have canceled or deferred surgeries, the doctors encouraged patients to be patient and make sure you are staying in communication with your physician and surgeon so everyone is on the same page about your medical status.

“At some point in time, what we might deem elective is probably going to become urgent,” said Salina Regional Health Center Chief Medical Officer Dr. Robert Freelove. “We don’t want it to go from urgent to emergent when we could have intervened at urgent.”

Not a silver bullet

Although the emergency order is an attempt to aid hospitals during the current COVID surge, many health care professionals are still urging people to wear masks and take a break from social gatherings.

Kelly’s initiative will activate the state’s disaster response, according to a statement, however it does not include any mandatory masking measures. Once the legislature is back in session, the governor said she will work to extend the executive order through March.

“These are short term fixes, they’re bandaids on big cuts, but every little thing helps,” Freelove said.

This story was originally published January 7, 2022 at 1:51 PM.