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FAQ: Crisis standards of care, round two
By Melissa Davlin, Idaho Reports On Monday, Jan. 24, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare declared crisis standards of care for part of southern Idaho. The circumstances around this declaration are different than when IDHW declared crisis standards of care in fall 2021, prompting a number of questions from Idaho Reports viewers and readers,…
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IDHW reactivates crisis standards for three southern Idaho health districts
By Melissa Davlin, Idaho Reports The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare has activated crisis standards of care for Southwest District Health, Central District Health, and South Central District Health due to a critical shortage of staff and blood. The announcement comes as Idaho is experiencing its largest daily case numbers thus far in the…
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With 14,800 unprocessed positive cases, Idaho’s numbers artificially low
By Melissa Davlin, Idaho Reports Idaho’s official coronavirus case numbers are currently artificially low, as public health districts scramble to work through a backlog of 14,800 positive laboratory results. Though a lower percentage of COVID patients are currently hospitalized than at other points in the pandemic, a slight increase in hospitalizations coupled with healthcare workers…
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Idaho hits 4,000 COVID deaths
by Melissa Davlin, Idaho Reports On Wednesday, Idaho surpassed 4,000 recorded deaths due to COVID-19. The state hit 3,000 deaths on Sept. 28, meaning the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare recorded 1,000 additional COVID deaths in just 72 days. In comparison, it took 263 days for Idaho to hit its first 1,000 deaths –…
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Little gives brief glimpse at 2022 priorities at Wednesday speech
by Melissa Davlin, Idaho Reports During brief remarks at the Associated Taxpayers of Idaho annual conference on Wednesday, Gov. Brad Little hinted at his priorities for the upcoming 2022 legislative session. “This upcoming session, I will reveal my plans on how to give back to the people of Idaho yet another record budget surplus —…
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Idaho deactivates crisis standards of care in southern half of state
By Melissa Davlin, Idaho Reports Idaho has deactivated Crisis Standards of Care for six of the state’s seven health districts. On Monday morning, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare announced the deactivation. Only the Panhandle Health District remains under crisis standards due to a high number of cases and hospitalizations, particularly in Bonner County. During…
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Chairman Wood confirms no Health and Welfare hearing this session
By Melissa Davlin, Idaho Reports While the House Business Committee heard hours of testimony on vaccine and testing mandates, House Health and Welfare Committee chairman Rep. Fred Wood, R-Burley, spent Monday afternoon in his office, reading nine bills that House Speaker Scott Bedke had assigned to his committee. “And I’ll not answer any further questions…
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House votes to censure Giddings
By Ruth Brown and Melissa Davlin, Idaho Reports The Idaho House of Representatives voted 49-19 on Monday to censure Rep. Priscilla Giddings, of White Bird, after the House Ethics Committee conducted a public hearing this summer. The vote came after a tense debate. At the beginning, members of the committee, as well as House Speaker…
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Southwest Idaho infant dies of COVID-19
By Melissa Davlin, Idaho Reports Idaho Department of Health and Welfare has confirmed the state’s first pediatric death due to COVID-19. The child was an infant younger than 1 year old who lived in southwest Idaho and died in October. The department said it will release no other details about the child to protect the…
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“It’s such a traumatic experience.” Nampa toddler recovering after COVID nearly causes liver failure
By Melissa Davlin, Idaho Reports In late August, Megan McCabe found herself at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, holding her 2-year-old daughter still while doctors sewed a dialysis line into her neck. A week earlier, the girl, Charlotte, had been playing with her brothers at their home in Nampa, and was jumping off…
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As Idaho hospitals fill, patients end up in other states, at great expense
By Melissa Davlin, Idaho Reports, and Audrey Dutton, Idaho Capital Sun In late August, 2-year-old Charlotte McCabe started vomiting in the middle of the night. Her parents, Megan and Cliff McCabe, initially thought she had a stomach bug. When she began acting listless, they brought her to an urgent care center, where a provider recommended…
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IDHW data shows younger Idahoans dying of COVID at higher rate than before
While those older than 65 continue to be most affected by the Delta-driven COVID surge, for weeks, Idaho healthcare workers and officials have been warning that more and more unvaccinated younger patients are being admitted to ICUs across the state. Now, the state has data to show how the latest Delta-driven surge is affecting those…