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PARKERSBURG -- Local hospitals are seeing an increase in respiratory illnesses which have put some emergency departments on diversion where they cannot accept any new patients for a period of time.
Both WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center and the Memorial Health System in Marietta have had incidents recently with an influx of patients with respiratory and other ailments to their emergency departments which have caused both groups to have periods of diversion where ambulances are rerouted to other facilities as health personnel deal with the immediate situation.
Chris Dellinger, Director Emergency, Trauma and ICU Services at Camden Clark, said in a statement released Wednesday they have seen an increase in incoming patients experiencing different illnesses.
"Our WVU Medicine Camden Clark Emergency department has experienced a recent surge in patients with a variety of illnesses including abdominal, respiratory, COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and as a result, physicians are encouraging those who can to utilize their primary care providers, telemedicine, and urgent care centers, when appropriate," she said.
Jennifer Offenberger, Associate Vice President of Service Excellence for Memorial Health Services, said in a statement released Wednesday they are currently experiencing a "very high volume of patients with respiratory illnesses -- RSV, COVID-19, etc., along with other typical health concerns."
Memorial operates Marietta Memorial Hospital, the Belpre Medical Campus for Marietta Memorial, Selby General Hospital and Sistersville Hospital locally.
"Like all area hospitals, we occasionally put our ED (emergency department) on diversion when the volume of patients has overwhelmed our capacity," Offenberger said.
Although other local hospitals have also been on diversion, Memorial does not put all of its emergency departments on diversion at the same time, she said.
"Selby was taking the bulk of the ambulance traffic (Tuesday) for Belpre and Marietta," Offenberger said.
Camden Clark is encouraging patients who are experiencing non-life threatening issues to go to their two local urgent care and rapid care facilities on Emerson Avenue in Parkersburg and the new Rapid Care location at Southgate Medical Center in south Parkersburg so they can be treated sooner, Dellinger said. Both are open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Southgate specializes in pediatric rapid care.
"While reports of 'yellow' diversion have been communicated, this means that the patient may experience a longer than normal wait time to be evaluated and diagnosed unless it is a life or limb threatening emergency such as symptoms of a heart attack or stroke, injuries sustained in a vehicle crash, and lacerations that cause substantial bleeding," Dellinger said.
"Minor, unexpected injuries and illnesses that do not fall into those categories, including ear infections, strep throat, simple abdominal pain, urinary tract infections, minor lacerations, sprains, and simple fractures, can be treated at one of our urgent care or rapid care locations."
Memorial's physicians are asking those who can to use their primary care providers, the Memorial Care Now (telehealth) app or visit an urgent care location when appropriate, and to visit the emergency department when appropriate.
Memorial's Belpre Campus opened a new pediatric emergency department, in conjunction with Akron Children's Hospital, on Tuesday for children ages 18 and younger.
"Life-threatening emergencies and those that pose a risk of disability, such as symptoms of a heart attack or stroke; injuries sustained in a vehicle crash; and lacerations that cause substantial bleeding should be treated in an emergency department," Offenberger said. "We never divert patients that are in critical condition. Even on diversion, we accept those patients."