San Juan Regional Enacts Crisis Standards of Care

Several zip codes in San Juan County are driving the rate of spread – the highest in the state – due to their significantly low vaccine rates. These include: 87401, 87402, (Farmington), 87410 (Aztec) and 87413 (Bloomfield). This directly converts to a high COVID census in the hospital.

From San Juan Regional Medical Center

Wednesday, November 3, 2021

              As of Wednesday morning, San Juan Regional Medical Center had 88 COVID positive inpatients. This represents more than half of all the admitted patients receiving care in the hospital. The current case rate in our community is 96 per 100,000, the highest in the state of New Mexico. This has caused an extremely high demand for patient care and indicates that the hospital will continue to be busy, or busier, with additional COVID-19 admissions in the coming weeks.

               Several zip codes in San Juan County are driving the rate of spread – the highest in the state – due to their significantly low vaccine rates. These include: 87401, 87402, (Farmington), 87410 (Aztec) and 87413 (Bloomfield). This directly converts to a high COVID census in the hospital.

                San Juan Regional Medical Center has declared crisis standards of care to help us manage our resources and provide care for our community at this critical time. By declaring crisis standards of care, we will have the ability to receive and allocate additional resources where they are needed most. In fact, additional resources are already enroute. The New Mexico Department of Health has facilitated the deployment of 34 caregivers with various backgrounds, training, and specialties. In addition, the United States Department of Health and Human Services National Disaster Medical System has deployed a Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) to San Juan Regional Medical Center to provide needed assistance and staffing. This DMAT is FL-3 (Florida-3), a 36-person team with healthcare professionals and support staff.  These external resources will be integrated into the clinical care model at SJRMC to provide needed care for our community. 

                This effort represents a structured and organized approach that determines how we may change the care we provide using a standardized and equitable process. We will continue to make ongoing efforts to support inpatient and outpatient care as well as and ancillary services for both COVID and non-COVID patients. 

                “Managing your own health is still important. As medical providers, we want to make sure you continue to seek care for your medical concerns,” said Dr. Brad Greenberg, Emergency Medicine Physician and Director of Emergency Preparedness for San Juan Regional Medical Center. “If you have chest pain, signs of a stroke, or suffer a traumatic injury, don’t delay care. It could cost you your life.”

                We call on our entire community to help reduce the enormous strain on our healthcare system and our caregivers. It takes all of us – together – to reduce the demand for precious healthcare resources and get us back to a more conventional approach to healthcare. Please, take steps to avoid preventable hospitalization. It is critical that everyone get back on board with COVID safe practices. Revisit disciplined handwashing, social distancing, and mask-wearing procedures that you may have let slip in recent months. Get your vaccine if you haven’t already and get a booster if you are eligible. To find vaccine locations and schedule appointments, visit https://goodtimes.vaccinenm.org/stay-ahead-nm/. 

“It’s so important for us as a community to depoliticize all the rhetoric in our country, our state and our community around this pandemic. The best way to prevent contracting the disease, prevent hospitalization, prevent an ICU admission, and ultimately prevent mortality related to COVID-19 is to seek a vaccination,” said Jeff Bourgeois, President and CEO of San Juan Regional Medical Center. “I encourage everyone to seek the COVID-19 vaccination and help to protect themselves, their family and friends.”