Oneida (N.Y.) Health canceled some elective cases at its ASC Aug. 10-11 as its emergency room experiences an "unusually high number of patients," according to the Rome Sentinel.
The hospital's ER went on temporary diversion on Aug. 9 as it attempted to minimize the number of high-acuity patients that arrived by ambulance. Diversion policies do not prevent walk-in patients from receiving care.
Some elective surgeries have been temporarily delayed and staff were redeployed to manage the high number of patients at the hospital, according to the report.
"Though this may inconvenience some, the safety of our patients remains our top priority while not overwhelming our talented staff," Gene Morreale, Oneida president and CEO told the Sentinel.
The spike in the number of patients in the ER was not COVID-19-related, a hospital spokesperson told Becker's.
The temporary diversion was enacted in the afternoon of Aug. 9 and ended in the evening.