CHATHAM, Va. — Amid frequent hospital diversions and staffing shortages, Pittsylvania County Public Safety, along with the many volunteer EMS agencies across the county, is encouraging the community to seek the appropriate level of care when dealing with injuries and illnesses.
“It is essential that we reserve the highest level of medical care, both at the hospital and from our county EMS providers, for those that truly need it,” said Pittsylvania County Public Safety Director Chris Slemp. “We encourage anyone who is experiencing a true medical emergency to call 911, and we will provide the best service to that patient as quickly as we can. However, we request that those who are dealing with minor injuries and illnesses do not call 911 or attempt to get care from the hospital or emergency room. This will reserve those critical resources, including time, for the most serious medical emergencies where every minute matters.”
As a result of an increase in COVID-19 patients and staffing difficulties, all the hospitals in the region have gone on diversion at different points in the past few months. When a hospital goes on diversion, that means it diverts incoming patients to alternate locations, putting an additional strain on the hospitals that are still accepting patients.
Diversions also put a significant burden on Pittsylvania County Public Safety and the many volunteer EMS agencies that work in the county. Typically, patients in Pittsylvania County that need transport service are taken to the hospital in Danville or the emergency room in Gretna, though it is not uncommon for patients to be taken to hospitals in Martinsville, Roanoke, Lynchburg, Halifax, or Eden, North Carolina, depending on the severity of the situation and the area of the county where the emergency is happening.
When hospitals go on diversion, patients can’t be transported to the location that makes the most sense based on the location. Due to the size of Pittsylvania County, just one hospital going on diversion can result in increases in transport times.