Using Two Statewide Medical Operations Coordination Centers to Load Balance in Pediatric Hospitals During a Severe Respiratory Surge in the United States

• 2023

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• Steven Mitchell; Matthias Merkel; Carl Eriksson; Vicki Sakata; Mary King
PMID: 37260321DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/PCC.0000000000003301

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This article describes how two statewide Medical Operations Coordination Centers (MOCCs) in Washington and Oregon helped manage a surge in pediatric patients during a severe respiratory outbreak. The MOCCs coordinated resources, changed referral processes, and used experts to handle 183 requests for hospital transfers. Most cases involved young children with viral respiratory diseases. The centers improved patient care by balancing hospital loads and expanding capacity quickly. They showed that centralized coordination can effectively manage overwhelmed pediatric hospitals during health crises like the one experienced in late 2022.

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Tags

Hazard: Infectious Disease

Audiences: EMS Clinicians; Nurses; Physicians

Emergency Management Stage: Response

Keywords: Critical Care; Disaster Planning; Health Services Needs and Demand; Patient Transfer; Respiratory Tract Infections; Pediatric Emergency Medicine

Institutions: University of Washington

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