January 19, 2022

The Washington Post

Staff shortages create other problems. The routine activities of a hospital occur more slowly when there are not enough people to perform them. Lab tests, food delivery and cleanup all take longer than they should. Elective procedures have been paused for two weeks. On certain days it is impossible to get an MRI or an ultrasound.

But patients keep coming to emergency departments everywhere.

“We’re seeing people who have acute emergencies, ranging to people who are there for routine tests because they can’t get routine tests anywhere else,” said Gillian Schmitz, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians. “Everything backs up into the emergency department.”

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