LA GRANDE — Grande Ronde Hospital and Clinics will host a virtual public town hall on Wednesday, Aug. 18, to address critical concerns of hospital capacity, according to a press release from the hospital.

President and Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Davis will host the event. He will be joined by several members of the hospital’s medical staff, along with Public Health Administrator Carrie Brogoitti from the Center for Human Development, La Grande School District Superintendent George Mendoza and La Grande Mayor Steve Clements.

“The delta variant has hit the nation, the state of Oregon and Union County hard, primarily among the unvaccinated,” the press release said. “Combined with a major staffing strain from months of COVID care, hospital capacity across the state has reached a crisis. We are challenged with the ability to transfer patients to other facilities for care, or receive patients in need of care.”

The press release states that a lack of capacity could affect the care and wellbeing of the community if all isn’t done to mitigate the current situation.

“If the hospital is full and our emergency services are at capacity, the potential impact that has locally on medical emergencies or needed surgeries is something we must avoid,” the release said.

The town hall will be live from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and will be live-streamed at www.EOalive.TV or www.fb.com/eoalivetv.