PITTSFIELD â A surge of patients, including some suffering from COVID-19, flooded the Berkshire Medical Center emergency department on Thursday afternoon, putting a strain on hospital resources at a time when the facility was already facing staffing shortages.
In response, BMC went to âfull activationâ at about 3 p.m. on New Yearâs Eve, meaning clinical staff stayed past the end of their shifts to handle the overflow, according to hospital spokesperson Jennifer Vrabel.
There were between 40 and 50 patients either in treatment or waiting to be seen in the hospitalâs emergency department, Vrabel said, including both COVID-19-positive patients and other patients in need of care.