The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) has issued a statewide order, requiring licensed hospitals to participate in the Mississippi COVID System of Care Plan.
Effective as of noon on Tuesday, the Mississippi COVID System of Care Plan aims to allow the most critically ill patients to be transferred for care while not overburdening any hospital.
The order includes the following situations:
- Heart attacks
- Strokes
- Immediate neurosurgical intervention (such as a severe car accident)
- Transplant patients with complications
- Ventilated patients at a hospital without an ICU, respiratory therapy or a ventilator
Mississippi MED-COM will be in charge of directing patients to open beds. If no open beds are available, patients will be directed to hospital destinations on a rotating basis based on geography and resource availability.
The announcement comes as Mississippi is facing a rapid surge in the Omicron variant. Over the last week, the state is averaging 6,095 cases per day. Over the last two weeks, the state has seen over 70,000 new cases. Those numbers do not include at-home tests.
The COVID System of Care plan will be in effect until January 23, 2022, unless revoked prior to that time.
