CHARLESTON, WV.a. Thomas Health reopened its emergency room at St. Francis Hospital in downtown Charleston Monday.
Thomas Health COO Brian Ulery said the ER is Level-B status and should help care for those patients who need ER care but there medical problems aren’t as acute as some other patients. Ulery said those patients are currently experiencing very long wait times in other ERs.
“It is a model that allows us to take care and smooth out the emergency medical needs of the community while still being responsible for the financial ramifications of running an expensive emergency department,” Ulerty said.
The hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
“It is our hope that by opening up this emergency room during the hours that most people seek care, we’ll be able to smooth out those wait times among al the emergency rooms,” Ulery said.
Emergency rooms at Thomas Memorial Hospital in South Charleston and CAMC operations have been crowded for weeks with the continued impact of COVID-19. Ulery said they are beginning to see a break in some of the numbers when it comes to patients and workers.
“We have over the last several days seen a decrease in the number of employees out (with Covid) and we’ve seen a decrease in the number of new patients who have arrived positive,” Ulery said.
Those on hand for Monday’s ribbon cutting included Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin, Kanawha County Commissioner Lance Wheeler and representatives of the Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority.
Thomas Health closed its 24-hour emergency room at the hospital in 2016 and has been running an urgent care clinic