No More Patients: Essex County Hospital Issues Temporary Divert

The East Orange General Hospital in Essex County issued a temporary diversion order on Monday, sending notice to incoming ambulances to bring patients to other local medical care facilities.

A hospital employee confirmed with Patch that the facility issued a diversion order on Monday around 8:30 a.m. and rescinded it later that morning.

A call to the hospital’s administration seeking further information was not returned as of Monday afternoon.

According to the hospital’s website, its services include: behavioral health, family health, hemodialysis/nephrology, hyperbaric/wound care and medical/surgical procedures.

“East Orange General Hospital’s importance as a New Jersey community hospital and as an emerging premiere urban medical center has taken on increasing significance as neighboring communities have suffered the loss of their hospitals and more face financial difficulties in the region,” the facility’s website states.

WHAT IS A HOSPITAL DIVERSION?

“A hospital goes on diversion when there are not enough beds or staff available in the emergency room or the hospital itself to adequately care for patients, the University Health System explains on its website. “When a hospital goes on diversion, it notifies area Emergency Medical Services (EMS) units so that they can consider transporting patients to other hospitals.”

In recent years, many local hospitals have issued diversion orders, including Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, Hackensack University Medical Center and CentraState Healthcare System in Freehold, NorthJersey.com reported.

“Emergency visits to New Jersey’s 82 acute-care hospitals have increased by more than 600,000 patients during the last five years alone,” the New Jersey Hospital Association (NJHA) states in its Updated Hospital Diversion Guidelines of 2009.

“During the past year, New Jersey hospitals have had to temporarily close their doors to ambulances with alarming frequency when ED resources are extended or a compromise of patient care may occur,” the NJHA states. “While such ‘diverting’ appears logical, when a hospital gets too full and closes its door even for a few hours, no one wins. The practice also raises a number of red flags regarding communications, accountability and public perception.”

“Diversion is an advisory status, not a mandate,” adds the NJHA. “Critically ill patients or patients with life threatening emergencies must be seen and treated at the nearest emergency department. Ambulances should not be turned away.”