Community Update – June 30, 2021

Olympic Medical Center continues to operate at full hospital capacity. According to Jennifer Burkhardt, chief human resources officer, general counsel and current incident commander of the internal response at Olympic Medical Center, the situation has slightly improved and staffing is currently stable. “Due to the postponement of non-urgent surgeries and endoscopies on June 30, we were able to redeploy hospital staff into our emergency department and nursing units,” said Burkhardt. At this time, Olympic Medical Center does not intend to postpone any surgeries or endoscopies scheduled for July 1.

The emergency department remains busy. “We’d like to reassure the community that the high patient volumes OMC is seeing are not related to an influx in COVID patients. Patients have been coming to the emergency department with a wide variety of severe and moderate medical and behavioral conditions,” added Burkhardt.

As the increase in patient emergency department visits continues:

• Wait times in the emergency department continue to be longer, particularly for patients presenting with non-emergency needs. Patience is appreciated.
• OMP Walk-in Clinics are available for patients needing to see a same-day provider. If an individual is not experiencing an emergency, they are encouraged to discuss their concerns with their primary care provider or visit a Walk-in Clinic.
• Community members are encouraged to continue to seek care in the emergency department or call 911 if they are experiencing a medical emergency. Please do not delay care.

Burkhardt also noted that the increase in visits to the emergency room is a good reminder to the community to continue to seek care from their primary care providers and specialists, particularly if they have a chronic disease that needs to be managed. “We have been vocal in the community about encouraging people to maintain their medical appointments and obtain screenings, as people who put this important care off may ultimately show up in our emergency department very ill and we are seeing some of that now,” Burkhardt said.

Olympic Medical Center health care workers appreciate your patience and understanding.