PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island health care leaders on Wednesday urged residents to only seek care at emergency departments for issues that require emergency care.
Hospital emergency departments in the state continue to see significant crowding and prolonged waiting times even prior to the height of flue season and holiday gatherings, officials said.
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Individuals with nonemergency health issues were asked to seek care at a primary care doctor or an urgent care facility. The nonemergency health issues cited included less severe cases of the flu, back pain, minor cuts, sore throats, low-grade fevers, and most case of norovirus.
“Emergency departments are perfect for emergency situations. If someone is experiencing a serious health issue, they should absolutely call 911 or go to an emergency department right away. However, emergency departments treat patients with the most serious health issues first, which means that people with less severe conditions will experience long waits,” said Director of Health Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott. “Keep the phone number for your primary care provider handy and know where your nearest urgent care facility is. An urgent care facility, or other type of express care facility is often a more convenient, less expensive option.”
Serious emergencies appropriate for the emergency department include trouble breathing, persistent chest pain or pressure, new weakness in an arm, leg or face, new difficulty speaking or confusion, inability to wake or stay awake and gray or blue-colored skin, lips or nail beds. If an individual is heading to emergency department for a COVID-19-like illness, they were asked to notify the facility that they are seeking care for COVID-19.
Officials noted that around the country, including in Rhode Island, hospital are facing staffing shortages, and are still seeing pandemic-related health care issues.
“It’s important for the public to understand that the pandemic-related health care crisis is not over for our emergency departments. Adult and pediatric EDs in Rhode Island and across the country are experiencing staffing shortages, more patients seeking care for behavioral health, and patients boarding for days or weeks waiting for appropriate placement,” said Lifespan Physician-in-Chief of Emergency Medicine Dr. Jeremiah D. Schuur. We urge patients to keep up with their regular medical appointments so that minor issues do not become major ones, notify their family physician if they have medical concerns, and to get their COVID and flu vaccines.”
Officials said the state is working on initiatives to address the overcrowding of hospitals by various means, including partnerships with urgent care facilities, emergency regulations to expand workforce eligibility, development of step-down capacity for behavioral health care and increased treatment initiation within emergency room settings, and direct care workforce recruitment and retention initiatives for home and community-based services, among other initiatives.
“In working with our health systems in Rhode Island, it has become abundantly clear that hospital overcrowding has emerged as a priority concern for the state,” said Executive Office of Health & Human Services Assistant Secretary Ana Novais. “I am thankful for our interagency team that is reviewing these challenges, implementing some immediate relief, and planning strategies to address these issues long term.”
