Health Washington nurses call for better pay as more colleagues turn to traveling work Hospital staffing shortages across the state have some nurses taking their skills on the road. Angela King Katie Campbell Play AudioListen 6 mins
Health Why Harborview is turning away patients Harborview Medical Center is turning away all non-urgent patients, and has been for more than a week. The hospital is at 130 percent of its capacity. One big reason: staffing, both at the hospital and in other parts of the healthcare system. Dr. Steve Mitchell, medical director of Harborview's emergency department, explains what's going on and how the hospital is adapting. We also hear from nurse Nicole Johnson on burnout among frontline healthcare workers. Patricia Murphy Clare McGrane Play AudioListen 13 mins
Health Doctors in Chernihiv bear witness to their hospital's fate after Russian shelling It was a sunny day in mid-March. The sky was blue. It felt like spring. Then the attack began on City Hospital No. 2. Doctors tell what it was like — and what's going on now. Ari Daniel Play AudioListen 8 mins
Health Russia's strike on Ukraine maternity hospital is part of a terrible wartime tradition The attack on the facility in Mariupol reflects an unfortunate trend in wars in Syria, Ethiopia and other countries. The impact on health care in the short-term and the long run is beyond devastating. Diane Cole
Health A healthcare researcher weighs in on the nurse-to-patient ratio debate ‘There's really been decades of research and hundreds of studies that have shown that low nurse-to-patient staffing ratios have a negative effect on patient outcomes.’ Kim Malcolm Play AudioListen 7 mins
Health As WA lawmakers consider a safe staffing bill, nurses warn of crisis conditions and risks to patients 'It's really important that we do have this safe staffing standard because adding more patients to the nurse's workload is literally hurting patients every single day. It's not good for them.' Kim Malcolm Andy Hurst Play AudioListen 6 mins
National ERs are overwhelmed as omicron continues to flood them with patients Omicron may cause milder disease, but the sheer number of patients makes this wave far worse for the health care system. With packed emergency rooms, patients can wait days to get moved to a bed. Will Stone
Health Here's something depressing for the holidays: states set new record for total annual deaths in 2021 The year 2021 isn’t even over, yet Oregon and Washington have already smashed their previous records for total annual deaths. Those records were just set last year. The coronavirus pandemic is only one piece of the explanation. Tom Banse Play AudioListen 2 mins
He’s 13-years-old, autistic and stuck in the hospital for the holidays. He’s not the only one It's a growing problem in Washington: kids with developmental disabilities and complex behaviors who are stuck in the hospital with no reason for being there. Usually, they end up in the hospital after a crisis or an incident. But once the child is medically cleared to leave, their parents or their group home won't come get them citing inadequate supports to manage the youth's needs. While the state searches for alternative placements, the child waits. Austin Jenkins Play AudioListen 5 mins
Health 'Bursting at the seams.’ WA hospitals feel the pinch of long-term care shortages Staffing shortages in places like skilled nursing homes and assisted living facilities, along with complex evaluation and placement protocols, are driving a surge in long-term care patients at Washington state hospitals. Liz Brazile
