Grande Ronde Hospital sees uptick in emergency room visits, hospitalizations due to respiratory illnesses
Dec. 20—LA GRANDE — Grande Ronde Hospital has experienced a large surge in emergency room visits and hospitalizations since the end of November, according to Assistant Chief Nursing Officer Nate Wadsworth.
Starting around Thanksgiving, Wadsworth said, the hospital was primarily seeing an increase in pediatric patients presenting with respiratory syncytial virus. Usually, Grande Ronde Hospital has one to two pediatric patients a week, he said, but during this RSV surge the hospital saw as many as six pediatric patients at one time. As children were discharged from the hospital, others would be admitted.
In years past, Grande Ronde Hospital would average only two to three patients at the busiest point of an RSV outbreak, Wadsworth said.
About two weeks ago the predominant illness became influenza, according to Wadsworth. On average, the emergency room is visited by around 35 people a day, but during the winter when respiratory illnesses, like the flu, increase in the community the number of visits typically rises into the 40s. Currently, the emergency room is averaging at least 50 visits a day, Wadsworth said. The largest daily number of people the ER has seen is 62 as of Friday, Dec. 16.
"I would certainly encourage people to get their flu vaccine," Wadsworth said.
People of all ages are showing up at the emergency room and testing positive for the flu, he said, but the majority of those who need to be hospitalized are older adults.
"It's definitely taken us up to the maximum number of patients per day," he said.
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Grande Ronde Hospital is a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital, which means that, at most, 25 inpatients can be admitted. As of Dec. 16, 21 of the 25 beds were occupied, according to Wadsworth. That number fluctuates as patients are discharged and new people are admitted. The number of admitted patients tends to be highest at the beginning of the week due to weekend ER admissions and because Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are the busiest days for surgeries.
RSV and influenza are two parts of what people have been calling the "tripledemic." COVID-19 is the final respiratory illness of the trio. Wadsworth said the hospital had not been seeing many coronavirus cases, but recently the numbers have begun to pick up.
The influx of patients tends to slow down processes and increases wait times, Wadsworth said, which he understands can be frustrating. Grande Ronde Hospital is dedicated to providing a high level and quality of patient care, he said.
"The hospital has done a wonderful job through this surge of patients," Wadsworth said.
Grande Ronde Hospital initiated an Incident Command System on Nov. 15, according to a press release. This team was responsible for creating plans and guidance for different scenarios, Wadsworth said. The team also ensured the hospital had enough supplies, medications and staff for the anticipated surge.
Twice a day the hospital reviews bed capacity and checks on the patient numbers. If people need to be admitted and Grande Ronde Hospital does not have the inpatient space, they look to nearby hospitals to see if there is room. This can also prove difficult though as other hospitals are facing the same "tripledemic" challenges.
Wadsworth recommends people practice good health and respiratory hygiene. He encourages anyone who is feeling sick to stay home and take care of themselves by hydrating and managing symptoms with over-the-counter medication. He also recommends that people with symptoms reach out to their primary care providers for guidance.
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Isabella Crowley is a reporter for The Observer. Contact her at 541-624-6014 or icrowley@lagrandeobserver.com.
