Wait times in Cheshire Medical Center's emergency department were longer than usual as of Wednesday, according to an update released by the Keene hospital. Patients with urgent medical issues are prioritized, per the update on the hospital's website, and anyone with particularly severe issues -- including a heart attack, trauma or stroke -- will still receive attention right away.
"Hospitals in the region are experiencing high numbers of patients in the emergency departments," the update says.
Also, "for less urgent or non-emergency care, there is a longer than usual wait time."
Heather Atwell, Cheshire Medical Center's chief information officer, said via email Wednesday that there are "high visit volumes in our ED and Urgent Primary Care Visits," and that "we are not closed to new patients in the outpatient setting, but some new patients may experience delays in establishing care."
The Sentinel recently reported that the hospital has been receiving an increasing number of patients with respiratory illnesses. The N.H. Hospital Association reported that on Jan. 8, roughly 92 percent of staffed inpatient beds in the state were full, up from 81 percent at the beginning of December. Adjusted for emergency department holds, inpatient staffed beds were at 98 percent on Jan. 8.
"The rise in respiratory illnesses this time of year typically causes hospitals to run at or near capacity," wrote Jake Leon, the director of communications at the N.H. Department of Health and Human Services, via email. "Like all hospitals, Cheshire Medical Center is seeing a lot of patients during infectious disease season. However, Cheshire continues to accept new patients, and people should continue to seek care there as appropriate."