Yale New Haven Health, like many health care organizations across the country, has been seeing record-high numbers of patients, especially in its Emergency Departments.

At the same time, many of the patients we are caring for are sicker, so once they are admitted to the hospital, they are staying longer. That means there aren’t as many beds open on nursing (inpatient) units in the hospital. As a result:

• Some patients who need to be admitted to the hospital have to board (stay) in the Emergency Department (ED) until a bed on an inpatient unit opens up. Some patients may board in the ED a day or more.
• Because the EDs are overcrowded, some patients are staying in beds in the hallways.

We understand that the current situation is difficult for our patients and their family members, as well as our staff. Our hospitals have taken steps to meet the increased demand for care, now and in the future. These include:

• Capacity Coordination Center: The Center constantly gathers real-time data about which hospital beds are open; the number of patients coming to our hospitals; Emergency Department activities; and other information. Experts use this information to manage the flow of patients through the hospitals.
• Discharge lounges: Patients who have been discharged may leave their rooms and wait in the lounges for their rides. The discharge lounges are not generally located on nursing units, but they are staffed by healthcare professionals.
• Home Hospital program: This program provides patients within the areas of Bridgeport and Yale New Haven hospitals with hospital-level care in their homes. This care includes nurse visits, physician visits (through telehealth), X-rays, blood draws, intravenous fluids and medications, medical equipment such as oxygen and more. The program currently accepts most insurance plans and traditional Medicare.
• Yale New Haven Hospital ED Annex: This 35-bed unit is scheduled to open in the spring for patients with less-severe illnesses and injuries. It will open up beds for more seriously ill and injured patients in the main ED.

Our staff throughout the health system is committed to providing the highest level of care to everyone who needs it, and we appreciate your patience as we work through these significant overcrowding challenges. One way you can help is by determining whether you need to come to the Emergency Department or can receive care in a different setting. Please see the FAQ below for guidance.

Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS), the largest and most comprehensive healthcare system in Connecticut, is recognized for advanced clinical care, quality, service, cost effectiveness and commitment to improving the health status of the communities it serves. YNHHS includes five hospitals – Bridgeport, Greenwich, Lawrence + Memorial, Westerly and Yale New Haven hospitals, several specialty networks and Northeast Medical Group, a non-profit medical foundation with several hundred community-based and hospital-employed physicians. YNHHS is affiliated with Yale University and Yale Medicine, the clinical practice of the Yale School of Medicine and the largest academic multi-specialty practice in New England. Yale New Haven Hospital is the primary teaching hospital of Yale School of Medicine. www.ynhhs.org