Inside an emergency room in Everett, Mass., fears mount as COVID cases climb

Dr. Melisa Lai-Becker, chief of the emergency department at Cambridge Health Alliance Hospital in Everett, stands in one of the resuscitation rooms in the emergency ward of the hospital. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

When patients or nurses need help in an emergency room, an alarm normally sounds. At Cambridge Health Alliance hospital in Everett, the beeps from the alarms never seem to stop these days.

The CHA Everett ER had near record levels of patients last week, even though the holiday week is normally quiet. On a recent afternoon, there were at least 30 patients crowded in a waiting room designed for only half that number, making it difficult for nurses to maneuver around the room and assess patients’ condition.

But what is happening in Everett is increasingly the state of affairs at emergency rooms across Massachusetts. Groups representing state emergency room doctors and nurses are out with a warning Monday: That ERs are close to a breaking point, as COVID cases rise and people seek medical care they postponed over the holidays.

Doctors fear the flood of COVID cases could have dire consequences. At the Everett ER, there are already increasingly long waits to see patients. Some wind up getting frustrated and walk out.

“I am very worried that we are going to miss someone or something catastrophic,” said Dr. Melisa Lai-Becker, who runs the CHA Everett emergency department.

One issue contributing to the logjam: Many people are flocking to ERs for routine flu or COVID tests after struggling to find appointments elsewhere. Lai-Becker estimates roughly 40% of patients who show up to her emergency room want a test, but aren’t sick enough to need emergency care.

That’s something doctors are trying to discourage, because they already feel overwhelmed. And Lai-Becker wants to make sure the ER is ready for patients with actual emergencies — issues like chest pain or trouble breathing.

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