Surging COVID-19 cases force doctors to ration care in Alaska, a step Alberta officials say is last resort

As provincial hospitals continue to struggle to meet surging COVID-19 patient demand, they have still not reached the threshold needed to activate the Alberta Critical Care Triage Framework which guides physicians through extremely tough decisions when demand for life-saving treatment outstrips available resources.

But that harsh new reality is already facing some U.S. hospitals, where the pandemic is forcing doctors to prioritize patient care.

Earlier this month Alaska's largest hospital, Providence Alaska Medical Centre in Anchorage, activated its Crisis Standards of Care protocol, which gives the hospital the authority to, among other things, decide who will be given life-saving treatments when there isn't enough equipment or staff for everyone who needs it.

"Most physicians, unless they have worked in a third world country or something, may never have experienced that before in their careers," said Dr. Michael Bernstein, chief medical officer for the Providence Alaska Medical Care Centre.

"I have never been in that situation previously," added Bernstein, who says he has worked in ICUs for more than 30 years.

In a letter to Alaskans last week, the chief of staff at Providence, Dr. Solana Walkinshaw, said: "What does this mean? In short, we are faced with a situation in which we must prioritize scarce resources and treatments to those patients who have the potential to benefit the most."

During a zoom call with reporters this week, Walkinshaw said since the protocols were activated on Sept. 11, the triage team, which includes an ethicist, has been consulted a few times.