By Tim Bonfield
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Saying that the flu is partially to blame, several Cincinnati hospitals report increasingly busy emergency departments and ask the public to come to the hospital only if they have an emergency that cannot wait.

People who don't have a serious health problem requiring immediate attention will wait as long as four to six hours at some hospitals.

Suzi Roth of Fairfield waits with her sons Tanner, 4, and Ethan, 11 months, at North College Hill High School. (Craig Ruttle photo)

It's a mix of demands for care, but flu is part of the problem even as supplies of flu vaccine dwindle and area health departments hope for new shipments via the state Health Department.

Halfway through December, area hospitals already have spent more time on diversion than all of December last year, according to the Greater Cincinnati Health Council. The busiest hospitals this month have been Good Samaritan, Bethesda North, Christ, Jewish, Mercy Franciscan-Western Hills and University.

Going on diversion means hospitals ask life squads to take noncritical cases to other hospitals. By law, hospital emergency departments cannot turn away walk-ins.

So far in December, 11 of 14 hospitals tracked by the Health Council have gone on diversion a combined 557.1 hours. That exceeds 515 hours from all of December 2002.

What does this mean? Crowded emergency departments and potentially long waits for care for anybody who is well enough to wait.

"Hospitals are very full. ERs are crowded. So if people do not have a serious health event, hospitals are asking that they try to wait to see their doctor," said Colleen O'Toole, vice president of the health council. "If you do not have a serious emergency, you could be waiting a long time."

People with influenza and other respiratory illnesses are accounting for much of the December rush. But all manner of illness and injury are contributing.

The two hospitals that have gone on diversion the most in December - Good Samaritan and Bethesda North - are both from the TriHealth hospital group.

"We're out of beds," said spokesman Joe Kelley. "I'd like to say it was as simple as the flu, but there are a number of factors involved. We're seeing a lot of pneumonia, some flu and a tremendous volume of surgery cases."

At least four local health departments still have some flu vaccine left, and they are hoping that more vaccine will come via state health departments in the days to come.

But none are certain about how many doses may come or exactly when they would be available.

In Cincinnati, clinics run by the Cincinnati Health Department in Madisonville and Price Hill report they are out of flu vaccine. A clinic in Northside is running very low. But some doses are still available in Millvale and Over-the-Rhine.

The city Health Department has held back 500 doses to be given in an unusual evening clinic from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday in Corryville at the Health Department headquarters, 3101 Burnet Ave.

While the vaccine is running low, it remains too early to tell whether the overall flu season will be worse this year than last, said Dr. Judith Daniels, Health Department medical director.

The good news: in Greater Cincinnati, the dominant strain of flu in cases tested so far have been type A/Panama, not the type A/Fujian strain that has caused havoc in Colorado and other states

Clermont County has just 500 doses left and plans to use them strategically this week. The vaccine will be made available only to people considered at high risk for serious complications from the flu: people over 65, children under 5 and any individual who has heart disease or a respiratory illness.

For those who meet that criteria, flu shots will be available in Batavia from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday at 2400 Clermont Center, Room 103. And if supplies last, a clinic will be held Thursday. For more information, call 735-8989.

Butler County has flu shots available from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday. If anyone is interested in the FluMist nasal vaccine, call the Butler County Health Department at 887-5237. Cost is $60 per dose.

For area-wide flu shot information, call 931-SHOT.

Where to get flu shots

The Cincinnati Health Department will provide 500 doses of flu vaccine from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at its headquarters, 3101 Burnet Ave., Corryville. Doses are still available at some city clinics, but residents should call for hours:

Over-the-Rhine: Elm Street Health Center, 1525 Elm St., 352-3092.

Millvale: Millvale Health Center, 3301 Beekman St., 352-3192.

Northside: Northside Health Center, 3917 Spring Grove Ave., 357-7600.

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Reporter Matt Leingang contributed to this report. E-mail tbonfield@enquirer.com