La Grange ER Traffic Drops A Lot

LA GRANGE, IL — The La Grange hospital emergency room has seen a big drop in business since the coronavirus epidemic began — a trend that is happening across the country, the ER's chairman said Monday. He estimates that traffic in the ER has fallen by 30 to 40 percent.

In response, the emergency room at Amita Adventist Medical Center La Grange has divided into two sections — one for those believed to have the coronavirus and the other for all other situations, Dr. Geoff Crabb, the ER's chairman, said in an interview Monday.

Crabb said he could not say with certainty about why fewer people are using ERs. But he believed it was because people wanted to avoid using an ER thought to be full of coronavirus patients.

"People may be staying home and not addressing underlying health issues. There can be negative outcomes to that," Crabb said. "We are encouraging people to use us. We are still here for COVID and non-COVID-related matters."

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Over the last week, he said, the ER has seen a number of people suffering heart attacks.

"Some in our community are waiting too long. I want them to know we're there for them," Crabb said.

As part of the separation of the emergency room, Crabb said, each section will have its own staff, and staff members will not move between sections.

Every day, the ER sees about 10 or 20 patients believed to have the coronavirus, Crabb said. Some show no symptoms, while others are critical and need ventilators.

Staff in the emergency room has not run out of personal protective equipment during the pandemic, but supplies ran low for a time, Crabb said. The ER filled the gap with help from the Amita hospital chain and donations.

The ER, Crabb said, has been grateful for residents' support of its efforts during the crisis.

"We are thankful for their support during these challenging times," Crabb said. "They have really stepped up as a community. There has been a meal train that has been going on — lunch and dinners almost every day. The staff is very appreciative of it. It goes to show we work really well with our community."

The La Grange ER has been run by a doctor's group, Illinois Emergency Medicine Specialists, for a couple decades.