Dignity Health Central Coast: ER doctors seeing 50 percent drop in emergency room visits

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - While doctors with Dignity Health Central Coast maintain safety measures during COVID-19 pandemic, a drop in emergency room visits continues.

"Our ER volumes are down by about 50 percent. Most people are requiring admission and further resuscitation because they've waited so long," said Dr. Wendy Ciovacco who works in the emergency room at Marian Regional Medical Center.

Ciovacco says patients in need of emergency treatment are not coming to the ER right away because of the pandemic. "People are at home with symptoms concerning chest pain. They could be having heart attacks, strokes, appendicitis and they’re not seeking medical attention in a timely manner."

Doctors say the longer you wait for emergency treatment the poorer your health outcomes may be.

During March and April, Dr Alex Harrison, cardiologist and Chief of Staff for Arroyo Grande Community Hospital and Marian Regional Medical Center says the number of patients seen in the cardiology department was down by 60 percent. "Time is muscle and if you don’t open up an artery when it’s blocked and you have permanent heart muscle damage you may be able to survive but you’re going to live with permanent heart muscle damage and heart failure as a result."

Ciovacco and Harrison want to remind everyone that extensive measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of all patients.

"We have a completely separate area of the emergency department for any patients with symptoms concerning for Covid," said Ciovacco.

If you have a medical emergency, Harrison and Ciovacco urge people to seek the care needed in a timely fashion.