MADISON, Wis. — Local healthcare providers joined together Monday to ask some people to stay home instead of visiting urgent care clinics and emergency departments.
In a joint statement, Access Community Health Centers, Group Health Cooperative of South-Central Wisconsin, SSM Health, UnityPoint Health – Meriter and UW Health said their clinics are seeing more and more patients with flu and COVID-19, causing longer wait times.
“We are really getting overrun in our places that take care of upper respiratory infections,” Dr. David Ottenbaker, the vice president of ambulatory clinical programs at SSM Health, said.
Hospital officials asked people experiencing mild to moderate symptoms of respiratory illnesses like the flu, COVID-19 or RSV who are in otherwise good health to stay home or seek virtual care options. If your symptoms are manageable, officials said the go-to treatment is to rest, drink plenty of water, and utilize supportive care at home.
“If you’re high risk, under the age of two years, have a chronic illness, et cetera, we certainly want you to be seen,” Ottenbaker said. “Or if you’re having worsening symptoms.”
By staying home, the healthcare providers said you can help ensure clinics and hospitals can care for those with the most severe symptoms while cutting down on wait times.
But this new guidance has some employees worried about how they’ll be able to prove to their employers that they’re sick without seeing a doctor.
“Any employer who’s requiring an employee to provide a doctor’s note should take stock of just how strained those resources are now,” said Colin Good, employment attorney and shareholder at Hawks Quindel.
Employers had more options during the peak of the pandemic thanks to COVID-19 policies, but now, he said, they’re in a gray area with asking for proof of illness for time off.
“What changed with the pandemic is that employers had a lot more tools at their disposal when employees were off work,” said Good. “Now, we’re kind of in a hybrid space. The pandemic is still going on.”
Ottenbaker said those who need doctor’s notes can also use telehealth options to avoid wait times.
“If people want to be seen, or if an employee has to get a note, we have SSM Express Virtual Care, which is a nice alternative so that they don’t have to be seen in person,” he said.
If you have questions about symptoms, you can consult with a doctor via a virtual appointment, or call your primary care clinic before going to a clinic or hospital.
Preventing illness spread by getting vaccinated, washing your hands, wearing a mask in crowded areas and staying home when sick can also help ease the strain on the local healthcare system.
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