CDPHE is urging Coloradans to get their flu and COVID vaccines to help reduce pressure on the state’s hospitals.
DENVER — According to the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE), a majority of hospitals in the Denver area at one point on Monday were diverting ambulances elsewhere unless the patient was critical.
It’s common for hospitals to use this tool to manage capacity, but to have this many in October is not common.
At one point on Monday, CDPHE said, 13 Denver-area hospitals were on an ambulance divert. First responders said they have noticed hospitals going on divert more frequently within the last few weeks.
“We are still going to get people the care they need. It might just be a little bit more out of the way than normal,” said John Curtis, Division Chief of EMS at South Metro Fire.
Paramedics don’t want people to panic. If a person is critical, such as a trauma or heart attack patient, hospitals will not turn that person away.
“When they have patients of non-criticality, there is definitely a conversation,” Curtis said. “Do we have the time? Can we afford to drive a little extra time to get someone to a facility that is open?”
Last year at the beginning of the pandemic, West Metro Fire worked with Jeffcom dispatch on a rotation system because they anticipated more hospitals would be on divert because of COVID-19. They didn’t put that system into play until recently.
“It did catch us a little off guard that, at this stage, something we put in that we thought was going to be last year is now going into fruition this year,” said Jasen McConaghy, a Captain for the EMS Division at West Metro Fire.
This is just another sign of busy hospitals. The Colorado Hospital Association (CHA) said hospitals are caring for many trauma patients, those with respiratory illnesses, and people who likely delayed seeking medical care during the early months of the pandemic.
On top of that, more than 1,000 patients were hospitalized with COVID-19 across the state on Monday.
“Divert status is one of the tools hospitals use to communicate with our EMS partners during times of high volume,” Julie Longborg with CHA said. “Hospitals have long used divert status to manage capacity, which is highly fluid and can change quickly.”
CHA said people experiencing a life-threatening emergency should do what they always would, which is call 911 or go to the closest emergency department.
CDPHE said it is monitoring the situation. The agency urges people to get their flu and COVID-19 vaccines to help reduce pressure on hospitals.
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