IU Health Bloomington Hospital ER recovers after being overwhelmed by patients Monday

A Lifeline ambulance transports patients to to the new IU Health Bloomington Hospital in December 2021.
A Lifeline ambulance transports patients to to the new IU Health Bloomington Hospital in December 2021.
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The IU Health Bloomington Hospital emergency department was overwhelmed Monday, causing extended wait times for some people to be seen — a problem exacerbated by a number of staff members being out for COVID quarantines or to care for family members who are ill.

Local resident Jennifer Flick went to the emergency room at IU Health Bloomington Hospital earlier in January for an agonizing migraine. "It hurt worse than giving birth," Flick said. When she arrived, there were no seats available in the waiting room and it took over an hour before her vitals were checked. But that was only the start.

"I'm thinking at that time, 'OK, great, they're gonna get me back,'" Flick recalled. "Oh, no, they sent me back out and I sat for about two more hours."

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The high volume of patients during the latest surge of the coronavirus has stretched resources at the hospital's emergency department. An IU Health spokesperson said the pressure on the emergency room had eased Tuesday, but urged those who need medical care to seek the right provider for their situation.

Wait times can be helped by people making sure they are seeking the appropriate level of care, the spokesperson said. Primary care, walk in, urgent care and virtual visits are other types of care levels that a number of individuals who come to the hospital could utilize instead of coming to the hospital.

An IU Health information sheet directs people to the right kind of health care that will cost less and minimize the strain on hospitals. The IU Health Bloomington Hospital emergency room experienced a surge of patients Monday that caused wait times to stretch for hours.
An IU Health information sheet directs people to the right kind of health care that will cost less and minimize the strain on hospitals. The IU Health Bloomington Hospital emergency room experienced a surge of patients Monday that caused wait times to stretch for hours.

The spokesperson said IU Health faces staffing constraints similar to those affecting many other hospitals and industries because of the continued surge of patients who require treatment for COVID-19 as well as employees who are sick or in quarantine due to COVID-19.

More: How to get, administer an at-home COVID test; where to get free N95 masks in Bloomington

IU Health looked to temporary staff to help in non-clinical departments, while drawing on other clinical departments at the hospital to assist with busy patient-facing areas. The National Guard assignment for IU Health Bloomington ended Jan. 5, the spokesperson said.

IU Health hospitals still have a high number of patients even though COVID patient numbers are dropping, Christopher Weaver, IU Health senior vice president and chief clinical officer, said during a statewide briefing Thursday. Weaver said it is hard to pinpoint exactly why so many people are in need of hospital care..

Weaver also reported that, as of Thursday, there were at 567 COVID positive patients across the 16 IU Health hospitals, which is down from a peak of about 640 COVID positive patients.

More: IU Health eyeing return of elective surgeries as omicron pressure eases

Flick understands health care workers are under tremendous strain due to the pandemic, but she was concerned about the experience. "I feel like they treat you like a number."

A patient room is seen Dec. 1, 2021, during a media tour of the new IU Health Bloomington Hospital.
A patient room is seen Dec. 1, 2021, during a media tour of the new IU Health Bloomington Hospital.

Flick ended up spending roughly four hours at the Bloomington Hospital ER. The pain in her head and the crowded waiting room were too much after four hours, so she left without being seen by a doctor.

"I was in so much pain, I couldn't stand it," she said. "I felt like my head was gonna explode. But I ended up leaving because I was just thinking, 'This is ridiculous.'"

Flick said she ended up going to Monroe Hospital, where she said the experience wasn't much better.

While wait times have improved since the Monday surge, IU Health officials requested patience from the community.

The spokesperson said the hospital system is working with its regional and statewide teams to fill in the gaps when possible, but again encouraged patients to utilize primary care, walk in, urgent care and virtual visits for non-emergency medical issues when possible and appropriate.

Contact Patrick McGerr at pmcgerr@heraldt.com, 812-307-5636, or follow @patrickmcgerr on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: IU Health Bloomington Hospital ER waits shorter after Monday surge