09 Nov 2009 |
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Bellin Health closed its designated flu clinic late last week after the health system’s flood of patients with flu-like illness began to recede. The clinic, at 725 S. Webster Ave., offered care to patients exhibiting flu-like symptoms and had served as a flu patient overflow clinic – one best suited to treat sick patients while simultaneously preventing them from infecting other patients seeking care. “The clinic is closed, at least for now,” said Amy Dettman, director, Bellin Medical Group. “We’re seeing a decline in the number of flu patients so we are able to once again schedule patients in a timely manner in their regular clinics and close the overflow flu clinic. We’ll reopen it if we see a sudden surge in patient numbers again.” The flu clinic was opened as part of Bellin’s flu pandemic plan. The clinic plan calls for designated treatment locations to be established when patient volumes in the emergency department and clinics begin reaching near-capacity numbers and calls to Bellin’s telephone service line, TeleHealth, spike – clear signals that influenza is spreading rapidly in the community and more advanced precautions are needed. The numbers are decreasing, Bellin officials say, so the clinic will close. Bellin’s decrease in flu patients is in contrast with the state Department of Health Services’ recent findings. The organization last week stressed the continued increase in doctor visits due to flu-like illness. “In our health system, we are definitely seeing a decrease in the number of patients coming in with flu-like illness,” Dettman said. “Within the overall community, yes, flu activity is quite high and very unusual for this time of year. But these numbers change very rapidly and as mentioned earlier, if we deem it necessary, if we start to see the numbers spike again, we’ll reopen our flu clinic very quickly.”
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