BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Catholic Health announced Tuesday the emergency department at Sisters of Charity Hospital, St. Joseph Campus on Harlem Road in Cheektowaga will be closing until further notice at 7 a.m. November 19.
Officials say the closure is "to accommodate a rapidly growing COVID-19 patient census and ensure patient safety, quality care and adequate staffing."
Emergency services at Sisters Hospital Main Street Campus in Buffalo will not be impacted.
Officials say all Catholic Health hospitals are currently caring for COVID patients using a hybrid model that allows each facility to safely maintain the health of the community while providing the highest quality care to COVID patients.
“We gained tremendous knowledge from our COVID experience at St. Joseph Campus and are using that knowledge to create a hybrid model to care for COVID patients throughout our system,” said Marty Boryszak, Senior Vice President of Acute Care Service for Catholic Health. “Although St. Joseph Campus will continue to care for more than half of the COVID patients in Catholic Health, we are increasing bed capacity at all our hospitals to manage this growing surge.”
Catholic Health says it will continue outpatient and elective procedures while closely monitoring bed capacity across the region and will respond to changes as necessary.
“The safety of our associates and patients is our top priority,” Boryszak added. “We will continue to monitor and manage this crisis to ensure our hospitals are staffed and equipped to provide the highest quality care, but we ask all Western New Yorkers to also step up and help protect our community by wearing masks, washing their hands, practicing social distancing and limiting gatherings.”
