I am at a Boston-area ER now with a sick family member — I can confidently say whatever you’ve read about how bad the health care capacity crisis in Massachusetts is, it’s worse. No hospital beds available and 104 very sick people spilling out wherever there is spare space.
I have been to this hospital ER many times throughout my life and childhood. I have never seen anything remotely close to this chaotic.
@alexjgoldstein No beds at Mass Gen?
@alexjgoldstein And it’s happening everywhere, while our health systems insist they don’t need to implement airborne infection controls thegauntlet.news/p/unmitigated-…
@alexjgoldstein I wonder if this tracker counts all physical beds, or all beds they have staff to cover. Either way, that’s a lot of red. hospitalbed.space
@alexjgoldstein I was recently in an ER near Philadelphia. They were very efficient, but people were stacked up like cordwood in the waiting area. So many turning to hospital ERs for primary care. This is a serious problem.
@alexjgoldstein Deep breath, Alex. Stay on top of everything because the staff in hospitals are overwhelmed as are the rest of us being sick. Ask questions. Write things down. Never let doctors intimidate you because they’re human and they make mistakes. All the best to your loved one.
@alexjgoldstein My colleague was just in for appendicitis yesterday and incredibly smooth and efficient.
@alexjgoldstein Can confirm the same situation in St. Louis-area hospitals as well. 100+ in the ER a few weeks ago. Doctor's office visits booking 2 months out.
@alexjgoldstein My brother was recently admitted to the hospital after a 2 hr emergency med transport from Murfreesboro, TN to Chattanooga. Two other closer hospitals had no beds. One had a 20 patient waiting list for emergency surgery in a university hospital. Medical care close to collapse.