Several nursing homes in the Finger Lakes, N.Y.-based area have stopped accepting new residents, with patients requiring nursing care or rehabilitation instead turning to local hospitals, reports NBC affiliate WHEC-TV.
The region has the lowest percentage of available hospital capacity statewide, with just 16 percent availability, according to data from the state health department. Officials from both University of Rochester Medical Center and Rochester Regional told WHEC-TV they could boost capacity by at least 10 percent if they were able to find nursing homes accepting patients ready for transfer.
"Fifty-five patients — almost 10 percent of our inpatient capacity — is taken up with patients who are ready to go back to the nursing home," said Michael Apostolakos, MD, CMO at URMC, adding that it has "caused significant stress" on the system.
"Our emergency rooms are very full and there are long waits there," said Robert Mayo, MD, CMO at Rochester Regional Health. "I know this is difficult for patients and their families, and we want to resolve this, and we work daily to do all that we can to minimize this type of impact."
Several hospital and county officials are discussing possibilities and expect to have a temporary solution soon. Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state could provide or shift resources around to help, but it's unclear whether any state assistance has been requested.