So, UMass Pediatrics ER is being used to house pediatrics patients because they are over capacity due to the ridiculously high need for inpatient pediatric beds right now with RSV and other illnesses running rampant in kids (if you have kids get their flu shots/Covid boosters if you haven’t already). UMass only has 30 inpatient pediatric beds (bc reimbursement rates are lower for kids so why would central MA have more, amirite?) and they’re at 115% currently. Because the overflow is bedding in the pediatric ER, it is closed to new patients, which means kids have to use the regular ER.

The adult ER is definitely not a great place for any child given that it’s the only Trauma 1 ER in all of central MA and that often means long waits due to triaging really serious emergencies. Kids don’t do patience and when they are in pain they definitely don’t do long waits, so it absolutely puts a ton of added pressure on the ER staff to manage the kids + the adults.

It’s basically a shit show.