With the winter flu season fast approaching, Tristate health officials say they are monitoring whether hospitals can handle a fresh surge of sick people.

        Tristate hospitals have been turning away life squads this year twice as often as they did last year and nearly six times more often than in 1999.

        A diversion means that an overcrowded or understaffed hospital has asked life squads to take patients elsewhere. They still receive ambulances carrying unstable patients and people who transport themselves to ER.

        The increased diversions reflect a health system facing rising demand for emergency care in the face of shrinking hospital capacity and a worsening nurse shortage, hospital officials say.

        “We are in a difficult environment,” said Lynn Olman, president of the health council. “We are taking a situation where we're pretty much at capacity and adding demand.”

        From January through November, Tristate hospitals have gone “on diversion” 725 times. That's up from 311 through November of last year, and up from 125 through November 1999, according to the Greater Cincinnati Health Council.

        “Hospital diversions continue to climb at an atrocious rate. I really think everybody in the community should be concerned about this type of statistic,” said Mark Johnston, chairman of the Hamilton County Fire Chiefs Association's EMS Caucus.

        This means that people with minor injuries and illnesses, such as the flu, can expect waits of up to several hours at crowded emergency departments. Hospital staffs will treat the sickest patients first.

        “It really depends on the type of illness and the time of day, but waiting times are increasing,” said Elaine McGuire, vice president and chief nursing officer for the TriHealth hospital group. “At one time it might be less than an hour. At another, it might be as long as four hours.”

        The key factors driving up hospital diversions:

        • ER visits jumped 14 percent since 1997, from 729,143 visits to 831,922 visits, thanks to an aging population and more uninsured patients turning to emergency rooms for care.

        • Hospitals lost ground in recent attempts to hire more nurses. Despite hiring bonuses, scholarship deals and other efforts, nurse vacancy rates grew to 15 percent this year from 12 percent last year.

        • There are fewer hospital beds. Since 1997, Jewish Hospital in Avondale, Bethesda Oak in Avondale, and Mercy Hospital in Hamilton have closed.

        Public health officials say the diversions underscore the wisdom of getting a flu shot, to reduce chances of needing hospital care.

        So far, no cases of influenza have been confirmed in Ohio. But the flu season, which runs December through March, is just getting started, said Dr. Judith Daniels, medical director of the Cincinnati Health Department.

        Last year, the flu vaccine effort was a mess.

        Manufacturing delays and uneven distribution of the vaccine resulted in thousands of annoyed Tristate residents lining up in grocery stores and pharmacies because they couldn't get flu shots at their doctor's office or public health clinic.

        “This year, the flu vaccine supply has been in good order,” said Norwood Health Commissioner Donna Laake.

       For information on flu shots, call your doctor or the Tristate vaccine hot line (513) 931-SHOT (931-7468).

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