Peoria, Ill — Critical care beds are now at full capacity at UnityPoint Health facilities in the Peoria area.
Doctors and nurses are now forced to treat some critical care patients in the emergency room.
At the same time, it means other emergency room patients are forced to wait longer.
A release from UnityPoint says, “we urge the community to seek care immediately for urgent needs like heart attacks, strokes, falls and other life-threatening emergencies.”
It goes further to say the health system is experiencing a, “surge” hospitalized patients with COVID-19.
As of Wednesday evening, 62 patients were being treated for COVID-19 at their three Peoria area hospitals with 16 of those in ICU’s.
See the full statement from UnityPoint Health below:
Like other healthcare systems, UnityPoint Health – Central Illinois is experiencing a surge in the number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 infections.
Currently, critical care units in our three local hospitals are at capacity and other patients needing critical care are being kept in the emergency department until a bed becomes available.
At the same time, our emergency departments are full and patients needing care are experiencing longer than usual wait times. We urge the community to seek care immediately for urgent needs like heart attacks, strokes, falls and other life-threatening emergencies.
For non-emergent needs, please call your primary care provider first or visit a walk-in clinic to be evaluated.
As of Wednesday evening, our doctors and nursing teams were caring for 62 hospitalized COVID-19 patients. 16 of those are being treated in our ICUs. Of those patients in critical care, 87 percent of them are unvaccinated.
COVID-19 vaccines are free, accessible and are proven to be our best protection against infection and serious illness. We strongly encourage everyone age 5 and older to get vaccinated as soon as possible or receive a booster.
As our region is coping with another increase in COVID-19 cases, UnityPoint Health is reminding patients the best place to get care depending on their condition.
Patients wishing to receive monoclonal antibody treatment through the Methodist Infusion Center should contact their primary care provider.
Monoclonal Antibody therapy is routine and will not be provided at our Emergency Departments.
Patients who need a COVID-19 test to return to work or school should visit a designated testing site or retail pharmacy location, not Emergency Departments.
Patients with COVID-19 should only go to the emergency department if they’re experiencing significant symptoms.
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