WEYMOUTH, Mass. — You can’t blame it on COVID-19. And it’s too early to pin it on the flu. So why are emergency departments in Massachusetts so overcrowded?
In the case of South Shore Hospital, it begins with the fire last February that forced the temporary closure of Brockton Hospital.
“Thinking back to last spring compared to this spring, we’ve seen a 20 percent increase in volume, which is huge for us,” said Kelly Lannutti, DO, Director of Clinical Transformation and Co-Director of Mobile Integrated Health at South Shore Hospital. “The emergency room’s been extremely busy the past couple of months.”
And that seems to be the case at many hospitals in Massachusetts.
In fact, a recent survey by the European organization Med.ro, claims Massachusetts clocks in with the second-longest average ER wait times in the country at just over three and a half hours (first place goes to Maryland where ER wait times hover around four hours).
But these are just averages. And the story for some patients can be much, much worse.
Just ask Tom Miley. Last April, he sought care at a local emergency room in metro Boston for some concerning symptoms.
“It was a long night,” he said.
Indeed. Miley waited from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. before he saw a doctor.
“People were leaving,” he said. “People didn’t want to wait. It wasn’t funny. It was kind of sad, I guess. At least five people walked out.”
Miley didn’t want to wait, either. But good thing he did.
Nine hours after walking through the door, doctors found two of Miley’s arteries almost completely blocked.
Miley is an example of a patient properly using the ER. And then, there are others.
“We see a decent number of patients with what we call lower acuity complaints,” said Lannutti.
Complaints such as sore throats and sprains — which could easily be treated in a non-emergent setting, such as a primary care office or urgent care clinic. Lannutti said examples of patients who really need ER care are those with symptoms suggesting heart attack or stroke: shortness of breath, chest pain, and difficulty walking or talking.
But improper ER use is just one of the factors driving wait times. The Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association (MHA) issued a report in June on hospital “boarders.” These are patients who continue to occupy beds in an acute setting because the next step in their medical care — whether it be a nursing home, assisted living, or a psychiatric facility — lacks beds to take them.
MHA also points to the shortage of healthcare workers in Massachusetts. In a report issued last fall, the association reported 19,000 vacant jobs in hospitals across the state.
Fewer workers means patients, like Tom Miley, may not get the immediate attention they deserve. But all’s well that ends well for Miley. He got his blocked arteries cleaned out a week after the diagnosis — and he’s doing fine.
“I feel a lot better now,” he said. “In fact, I’m almost finished with cardiac rehab.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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