Novant Health’s emergency rooms dealing with privacy concerns and overcrowding

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — One of the area’s largest health systems has a big problem with not enough space in its emergency rooms.

Wilmington resident Tracy Dumas and her mother visited the ER at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center on December 29th and there wasn’t as much privacy for visitors as they hoped.

“I noticed beds lined completely across every wall in the hallway,” Dumas said.

Novant Health said it has 108 beds in the New Hanover Regional ER.

But Dumas said she heard one nurse say more than 180 beds were being used.

She said her mother was treated on one of those beds, with just a screen between her and other patients.

“My mother was very upset because she felt she had no privacy,” Dumas said. “Doctor examines you, you’re in the hallway. You can hear what’s going on in the bed next to you. I can tell you what each person behind my mother and in front of my mother. I could tell you where they live, their birth dates.”

Zachary Cockerham is the director of Emergency Services for Novant.

He said the hospital is working hard to improve its ability to handle more and more patients in the coming years.

“I think there is always a focus on growth,” Cockerham said. “We’ve obviously got our Scotts Hill emergency department that will be doubling in size over the next couple of years. We’ve also, in 2023, we opened our in-patient neuro tower which allowed us to admit additional patients to the hospital.”

Despite what her and her mother dealt with, Dumas said she does not blame Novant Health for what happened.

“It’s not their fault, they’re doing the best with what they have, but somebody has to do something about getting us another hospital,” Dumas said.

Dumas said she believes the continued growth in the Cape Fear is one of the main reasons the hospital is also seeing overcrowding and said with more people moving here, comes in an increase in the number of people coming to the hospital when they need help.

But hospitals aren’t just seeing bigger crowds here, but statewide as well.

According to the state Department of Health and Human Services, for the week ending December 30th, there were 1,055 people hospitalized with flu and 923 people hospitalized with Covid-19.