San Joaquin Valley Hospitals Report Increased Emergency Department Volumes in February

Northern San Joaquin Valley health officials say emergency departments at area hospitals have been "swamped" this month, largely because of an increase in flu and respiratory virus patients, the Modesto Bee reports. The increase in patients has led some to complain about lengthy delays, according to the Bee.

EDs at Memorial Medical Center and Doctors Medical Center, both of which are in Modesto and serve a six-county area, have treated about 20 to 40 more patients daily during February than the typical volume, according to hospital officials.

Anita Talkington, a spokesperson for Memorial, said the hospital has treated 10% more ED patients in February than usual.

In addition, officials at Emanuel Medical Center reported that the hospital had treated a record 220 ED patients over the Presidents Day weekend.

According to the Bee, construction of a new Kaiser Permanente hospital in north Modesto and a larger ED at Turlock could help address ED capacity issues in Stanislaus County. The Kaiser facility is scheduled to be completed in 2007, and the Turlock ED is expected to be complete in 2006 (Carlson, Modesto Bee, 2/24).

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