Polk County Medical Coordination Center Media Release: Polk County Hospitals Operating at Limited Capacity

May 25, 2022

(Des Moines, IA) – Polk County hospitals are currently operating at limited capacity. The demand for patient beds is greater than the number of beds available, coupled with a reduced number of staff to care for patients. In addition to COVID-19 cases rising, hospitals across the county and the state are dealing with summer traumas, caring for individuals who are very sick and staffing shortages. 

Each hospital, emergency department, urgent cares and clinics strive to provide the best care possible for the community. In the case of a life or limb-threatening emergency, do not hesitate to go to the emergency room or call 911.

For those who are sick or injured but not in a life or limb threatening situation, we encourage you utilize the services of your primary healthcare provider or urgent care. Urgent care can be used for situations where you feel terrible or are in pain. This may be a situation where waiting several days to see your healthcare provider isn’t appropriate and your health issues need immediate attention. We have several urgent cares in our community that offer night and weekend hours.

We also encourage our community to reach out to their healthcare provider if the individual is experiencing common illnesses or injuries, needing medication management or preventative care. Your primary healthcare provider is the point person for your overall health and the starting point for your medical care. Your primary healthcare provider’s knowledge of your health history makes them best suited to get you the care you need.

Our hospitals and clinics encourage members of our community to continue to follow safe health practices to mitigate the stresses on our health care systems, including receiving vaccines and boosters against COVID-19.

The hospitals and healthcare systems in Polk County are committed to the safety of our patients, visitors, colleagues, physicians and communities. We continually work to ensure we can provide the care you need.

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