Flu Vaccine Shortage Could Lead to Additional Financial Problems for Emergency Departments

[CAL/AAEM News Service]

Flu Vaccine Shortage Could Lead to Additional Financial Problems for Emergency
Departments

Source: California Healthline (www.californiahealthline.org)
Date: October 21, 2004


The Los Angeles Times on Thursday examined how the U.S. flu vaccine shortage
"poses a new set of medical and financial challenges" for emergency departments
in Los Angeles County "as flu patients jam hospitals along with more seriously
ill people."

Some county hospital administrators have raised concerns that a severe flu
season could lead to additional overcrowding and financial problems for EDs,
which treat a large percentage of patients without health insurance. According
to the Times, the flu season is the "busiest time of the year" for EDs.

Some of the 75 EDs in the county have sought to address potential problems
related to the flu season with plans to add employees in December and modify
triage procedures to ensure that seriously ill patients receive treatment
first. In addition, some county EDs have increased physician hours from four to
eight hours per day.

County health officials have said that there was "no indication that this flu
season would be any worse than normal" and that "it was too early to tell"
whether the vaccine shortage would lead to more cases of flu, the Times
reports.

Frederick Carr, director of the ED at Little Company of Mary Hospital, said
that the hospital has implemented a separate area to admit flu patients. Carr
said, "Emergency rooms in L.A. County are at a breaking point now. This is the
slow season. People are already having long waits. Some are being seen in the
hallways. There's no margin for error."

Jonathan Fielding, director of county public health programs, said the effect
of flu on EDs this year will depend on whether county health officials can
administer the flu vaccine doses that remain to individuals at high risk for
the illness. Fielding also said that individuals with minor respiratory
problems should seek care at physician offices rather than EDs.


Suburban Medical ED To Close
In related news, officials for Suburban Medical Center on Wednesday announced
plans to convert the hospital ED into an urgent care center and said that the
hospital next year will no longer accept ambulance calls because of financial
problems. Eight county EDs have closed over the last 18 months (Pierson, Los
Angeles Times, 10/21).



=====
Cyrus Shahpar & Brian Potts 
Managing Editors, CAL/AAEM News Service 
UC-Irvine



		
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