Despite messaging from officials with University of Rochester Medical Center that patient services are not being impacted by the recently enforced COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers, some patient services were impacted.
However, the cause was brought on by increased hospitalizations as COVID-19 cases rise again throughout the Finger Lakes.
The latest hospital to join the list of those who temporarily, or more permanently had to divert patients is F.F. Thompson Hospital in Canandaigua.
Administrators at Thompson say it comes down to low vaccination rates in the community driving up hospitalization. “We had four ICU boarders in the ED along with double-digit surge boarders waiting for beds,” UR Thompson CEO Michael Stapleton told RochesterFirst.com. “And our total ED volume was well over 40. We only have 24 beds, so it was a simple matter of the volume there at the time.”
On two occasions last week emergency medical staff diverted patients from being transported to Thompson. Stapleton says he’s concerned about the upward trend in COVID cases.
Those with life-threatening conditions are not being turned away or diverted. The diversions are only happening in cases of non-life threatening injuries or sickness.
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