Submitted by PeaceHealth
PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center is again experiencing exceptionally high patient volumes in its emergency department due to rising cases of RSV, flu, and many other emergent health needs.
The hospital asks those with non-emergency health issues to consider visiting their primary care physician or a same-day or urgent care clinic to preserve the Emergency Department for those patients seeking care for emergency health issues.
“Given we are at what is likely the height of the influenza and RSV seasons, we ask at this time you consider other options to assist with your non-emergency health care needs so our team can care for the most ill and vulnerable,” says Sudhakar Karlapudi, MD, chief medical officer for PeaceHealth’s Northwest network. “Please know that we treat everyone who visits our Emergency Department, but those with non-emergency needs will most likely have a longer wait time before we are able to care for you.” Dr. Karlapudi stressed that anyone with difficulty breathing or challenges getting enough oxygen to come to the Emergency Department for an evaluation.
“We realize that access is difficult across all regional healthcare sites, including primary care and urgent care,” says Dr. Karlapudi. “It’s best to work on self-care for symptoms like a cough or body aches, and if your symptoms worsen, but are still non-emergent, contact your primary care provider or look for alternate care sites.”
PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center Emergency Department is available 24/7 to provide immediate care for those experiencing life-threatening or emergent medical issues. More information about our Same Day care locations can be found here.
