BELLINGHAM, Wash. – PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center asks that only those with serious injuries or illnesses use its emergency room.
The hospital says it is seeing very high numbers of people in the ER because of a surge of RSV, the flu and other respiratory illnesses.
They ask that patients first seek treatment from a primary care provider or walk-in clinic.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sudhakar Karlapudi says they will treat everyone who arrives at the ER, but those with non-emergency needs will likely have a longer wait.
He does encourage anyone with difficulty breathing or getting enough oxygen to come to the hospital for treatment.