SHELTON, WA – Mason Health announced today it has returned to Conventional Staffing Standards following a brief period in which the District operated under “Contingency Capacity Staffing” guidelines.

Mason Health alerted the community on January 17, 2022 of its move to Contingency Capacity Staffing guidelines in response to a significant post-holidays surge of COVID-19 infections. The surge of infections in the county both increased demand for medical care and affected the availability of health care staff.

Following a January peak, a decline in infections and a reduction in COVID-19 related hospitalizations now allows a return to regular staffing and operations across the District.

Contingency Capacity Staffing guidelines were developed by the Center for Disease Control, and recognized by the Washington Department of Health, to help mitigate pandemic-related health care worker shortages. The guidelines allowed health care workers that tested positive for COVID, or had a “high-risk exposure,” to return to work sooner than under standard guidance if certain requirements are met to protect patients and health care workers. Returning to work under the guidelines is voluntary.

According to the District, implementing the Contingency Capacity Plan allowed for a fair balance in keeping services available to the community, while providing staffing appropriate to support the health and safety of patients and the Mason Health team. Implementing such alternative staffing plans has been done at number of hospitals in Washington according to the Washington State Department of Health

Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Dean Gushee, and Chief Nursing Officer, Melissa Strong, praised the Mason Health staff for supporting patients and the community during the surge, noting the team worked tirelessly to provide quality care under demanding circumstances.

All COVID-19 safety protocols remain in effect for patients and hospital visitors. Information about services, visitor guidelines, COVID-19 testing and vaccines are available at https://www.masongeneral.com/about/covid-19.

About Mason Health

Mason Health, Public Hospital District No. 1 of Mason County, is certified by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and is a licensed and accredited acute care hospital with a level four emergency trauma designation. There are more than 100 physicians on staff in 19 specialties. For more information or to find a health care provider, visit www.MasonGeneral.com

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