By Patrick Thatcher
Daily Press
Copyright 2008 Daily Press
VICTORVILLE, Calif. — With a large number of patients showing up at hospital emergency rooms, healthcare officials say that “hospital season” is here. Ambulances can sometimes be parked several deep in the parking lot because the hospital is “saturated” with patients.
“Saturation is a term used by hospitals to alert the staff that we are running out of their normal room,” said Randy Bevilacqua, vice president of Marketing/ Communications at St. Mary Medical Center. “It doesn’t mean we are not treating patients. It means we are running out of space, exceeding the ER capacity and have to find places to put patients.”
Hospital administrators point to the rapid population growth of the Victor Valley as one reason for the huge influx of patients. They see the Victor Valley becoming less of a bedroom community as more businesses are coming into the area.
Dr. Margaret Peterson, CEO of Victor Valley Community Hospital, agrees that the demographics of the area is changing.
“I think the population grew so rapidly that the hospitals weren’t able to keep up, and so all of us (High Desert hospitals) are trying to catch up with where the population is today,” Dr. Peterson said.
Dr. John Stroh, board certified in emergency medicine at Victor Valley Community Hospital, said that from January to March they see a lot of patients -- both adults and children -- with a number of illnesses.
He said it’s not just Victor Valley Community Hospital but all hospitals in the High Desert are saturated with patients at this time of year due to colds, flu and a lot of children with respiratory problems.
There are also patients who arrive at the emergency room with severe trauma from accidents, gunshots, heart attacks and other injuries needing immediate attention.
Bevilacqua said that recently they saw 200 patients in the emergency room within a 24-hour period.
Peterson said they have initiated a system called “fast track” in which emergency room patients with minor problems are quickly evaluated. The goal of the hospital is to have those patients in and out within 90 minutes.