University Hospitals Temporarily Closes 2 Emergency Departments

NORTH RIDGEVILLE, OH — Two University Hospitals emergency departments will temporarily suspend operations. Facilities in Andover and North Ridgeville will cease operations as hospitals continue to prepare for a surge in new coroanvirus cases.

Patients currently being treated at those facilities will be able to remain until their care is completed or they are transferred to another facility. Other services at those facilities may remain open, the hospital system said in a statement.

Community leaders and first responders in and around Andover and North Ridgeville have been notified of the changes. Signage will be displayed encouraging patients to go to emergency departments in Ashtabula, Geauga, Lorain and western Cuyahoga counties.

The emergency departments are being temporarily shuttered for the following reasons, according to University Hospitals:

• Moving clinical and nonclinical staff around the hospital system to better apply their skills to COVID-19 surge locations
• Optimize resources, specifically personal protective equipment like ventilators
• Responding to fewer patients needing emergency department care because of the stay-at-home order

Additional changes to different locations could be implemented as hospitals continue to prepare for COVID-19.