Health care providers warn that many of Massachusetts’ hospitals are maxed out and the system is at risk of collapsing. The capacity problem is one that existed since the early days of the pandemic.
The Department of Public Health has declared much of Massachusetts' health care system "high risk."
That means patients seeking care at hospitals will likely have to wait hours for care. Hospitals could even cut elective surgeries and non-urgent procedures.
So how bad is the problem?
According to the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, on any given day, there are more than one thousand patients waiting to be discharged from Massachusetts hospitals, to free up a hospital bed for someone else.
The greater Boston area, as well as northeastern Massachusetts has been elevated to a "Tier 3" risk level – on a scale of 0-4.
Those areas join southeastern Massachusetts, the Cape and the Islands, which have been Tier 3 since the beginning of 2023.
That designation has been due in part to the prolonged closure of Norwood Hospital due to flooding, as well as the fire at Brockton Hospital.
MHA said the recent serious financial challenges at Steward Health Care have been a major catalyst for the hospital capacity crunch as well.
Staffing issues, as well as a robust cold and flu season, have exacerbated the problem.
Health experts say we can all help ease that backlog by only seeking emergency room care when it's a true emergency.
