Don't Blame the Unvaccinated for Crowded Idaho Hospitals

We’re told hospitals are bursting at the seams. Is it of their own design? Not in an intentional way and possibly related to poor planning and Idaho’s recent Medicaid expansion. The latter was the result of a public referendum in 2018. It passed by a wide margin, surprising many who believed a majority of conservative voters would instead reject the idea.

It appears none have been fired but the hospitals won’t say how many have quit, which would also abet a crisis.

Wayne Hoffman is the president of the Idaho Freedom Foundation. He told Newsradio 96.1 FM and 1310 KLIX the state’s largest hospitals also have failed to keep pace with population growth. One has fewer beds now than nearly a decade ago.

With round two of the COVID-19 pandemic supposedly bedeviling the state, these may be key factors in overcrowded healthcare facilities. Hoffman posted a column on the issue on the IFF website. You can read it by clicking here.

He also told us that when he worked for the department of agriculture 15 years ago, he was aware of hospitals gamed for mass casualties and pandemic events. Other more recent factors may have squashed the pandemic reaction.

We also discussed the recent campaign contributions received by Governor Brad Little from the CEO of St. Luke’s. It’s not illegal but the “optics” look strange to some of us. The check was donated the day before the hospital planned to fire workers who hadn’t received COVID vaccines.

It appears none have been fired but the hospitals won’t say how many have quit, which would also abet a crisis. You can click on the video below to hear Wayne Hoffman.

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