Oregon still lacks crisis standards of care in hospitals

Oregon Public Broadcasting | By Sage Van Wing

Published October 14, 2021 at 11:12 AM PDT

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In September, more than half of intensive care units in Oregon were filled with COVID-19 patients, including the medical intensive care unit shown here at OHSU Hospital.

The overwhelming impact of the delta surge almost brought down Oregon’s health care systems and raised a question the state still hasn’t answered. Who gets priority for health care when there’s not enough to go around? OPB’s Amelia Templeton tells us about the politically and ethically charged issue of what’s called “crisis standards of care.”

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