As a result of advocacy by WSHA and hospitals across the state in late 2021 and early 2022, the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) is opening several Hospital Capacity Admission Units across the state. These are nursing facility units staffed by the state to help move non-acute patients out of hospitals. WSHA strongly encourages hospitals to connect with the Hospital Capacity Admission Units to see if they can accept nonacute patients who need nursing home care.
Six total units are now open in Clark, Franklin, King, Spokane and Whatcom counties. You can access the online directory of nursing facilities operating the Hospital Capacity Admission Units here. Hospitals should reach out directly to nursing facilities to coordinate admission. The DSHS page will continue to be updated as more nursing facility units open in the coming weeks.