Good Samaritan, other hospitals use refrigeration trailers to expand morgue capacity

Refrigeration trailers have returned to MultiCare’s Good Samaritan Hospital this month in Puyallup, but not because of a rise in deaths from the omicron variant, a MultiCare spokesperson wrote via email.

Having the three refrigeration trailers will allow the hospital to “compassionately and safely take care of deceased patients and ensure a process of dignity and respect for patients and their loved ones,” Holly Harvey wrote.

“Our capacity is currently limited due to mortuary staff shortages and is not due to a rise in mortality rates,” Harvey wrote.

The refrigeration trailers will be at the hospital until staffing at the mortuaries returns to normal, she said.

This is not the first time the hospital has leased refrigeration trailers during the pandemic, Harvey wrote. MultiCare’s Tacoma General Hospital and Auburn Medical Center are also leasing one trailer each.

As of Jan. 14, there were 134 COVID-19 patients at Good Samaritan.

The omicron variant has a lower mortality rate compared to prior variants, and the hospital is not seeing an increase in COVID-19 deaths, Harvey wrote.

However, Washington state hospital officials said this recent surge is unlike any other, The News Tribune reported.

“This is the worst situation hospitals in Washington state have been in compared to any prior point during the pandemic,” Taya Briley, Washington State Hospital Association executive vice president, said during a press conference on Jan. 13.

Hospitals saw an average of 226 COVID-19 hospitalizations per day with between 12 to 20 of those patients dying from the virus, The News Tribune reported.

Gov. Jay Inslee announced on Jan. 13 his plan to assign 100 non-clinical National Guard members with helping hospitals that have been facing staffing shortages amid the surge, The Olympian reported.

The News Tribune reported on Jan. 14 there have been 138,752 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 1,061 deaths in Pierce County.