Lee Health announced today that it is reaching capacity in its emergency rooms and hospitals, as seasonal residents and visitors flood into the area and the area population increases. The hospital reported having more than 1,000 visitors to its emergency rooms on Tuesday of this week.
Lee Health Chief Medical Officer Iahn Gondenhauser commented on the impact.
“When you arrive to the emergency department with a condition that is not emergent in nature, while we’re still here for you, we have to prioritize those patients who need critical care, timely care, first, because of the situation that they are in,” he said.
Lee Health stressed pursuing alternatives to emergency care. Alternatives include using the symptom tracker on Leehealth.org to see where best to get treatment. Lee Telehealth is available 24/7 on your smartphone or computer. DispatchHealth, which provides in-home urgent care, is another option.
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