When trauma systems are overloaded by the influx of trauma patients from a mass casualty incident(MCI) like todays situation or the influx of to many patients and not enough beds, they go on what is called diversion or TSO(trauma system overload). Baptist often goes on diversion(not taking any new patients) because they don’t have neuro capabilities at the time they go on diversion. We aren’t supposed to take stroke patients to Baptist when they are on neuro because they can’t help them but if the patient isn’t altered, not usually the case, and wants to go to Baptist we have to take them.

With the flu season upon us many hospitals are going on Diversion multiple times a day because they don’t have the beds for the number of patients being seen. It is a common occurrence daily to arrive at an emergency room with a patient and see stretchers with patients on them in the hall ways and isn’t uncommon to wait for an hour/ hour and a half for a bed to put a patient in before we can return to service to take other 911 calls.