On March 12, nurses and physicians at the Portland hospital met with media outlets about what they described as a capacity crisis — a problem that is slamming hospitals across the country. Since 2023, U.S. hospital bed capacity has remained above 70%, according to HHS data.
In Oregon, hospitals are at 85% capacity, and OHSU Hospital is above 100%, according to the Journal.
Employees at the hospital outlined multiple factors for the capacity issue, including procedures postponed during the pandemic, a rise in acuity, workforce shortages and the growing aging population.
Matthias Merkel, MD, PhD, OHSU’s senior associate chief medical officer of capacity management and patient flow, said Oregon requires about 2,500 more beds to meet the state’s healthcare needs. Among all 50 states, Oregon has the fewest hospital beds per capita, with 1.6 beds per 1,000 people. The national average is 2.35, according to the report.
OHSU is a Portland, Ore.-based health system that operates an academic health center, a children’s hospital, two medical centers and several clinics across Oregon. In fiscal 2023, the system logged 340,047 hospital admissions and medical clinic patient visits, according to its website.
“Many patients end up in our hallways, and they don’t get the privacy and dignity they deserve,” said Claudia Aime, DNP, RN, OHSU’s vice president and chief nursing officer, according to the Journal.
“It’s not just an inconvenience,” Dr. Aime said. “It’s a serious issue for patients.”
