photo courtesy of Pixabay user ArtisticOperations
(OLYMPIA) Emergency Rooms across Washington are busier in general, but one now stands out as the busiest in the state, treating more than 86,000 patients during 2021.
With a number like that, it’s tempting to think we’re talking about a Seattle or Tacoma-area hospital.
But the dubious honor of “Busiest ER in the state” goes to a medical center outside our metro area. Imagine 86-THOUSAND patients in one year, at Yakima Memorial Hospital.
Why so many? That’s a tough pill to swallow, says Cassie Sauer with the Washington State Hospital Association. She says it’s not because there are more accidents or assaults in Yakima.
“A lot of Medicaid patients turn to the E-R for their regular source of care because they can’t find a regular source of medical care,” Sauers said during a recent news conference. More and more doctor’s offices are limiting the number of Medicaid patients being seen.
Emergency Rooms, in general, don’t turn people away. So in communities with higher numbers of people who can’t afford health care, the E-R is the only option.