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It is often said that “Life is what happens to us while we’re making other plans.”
COVID-19 made other plans for us. Obviously, the pandemic has changed everyone’s routines. Back in early March, it seemed we would be changing our habits for a couple of weeks or a month and then things would be “back to normal.” At that point, it seemed fine to delay our regular routines-such as doctors’ visits and any sort of non-urgent care.
However, those weeks have turned into months. Now, here we are months later with continued alteration of our lifestyles through social distancing, mask-wearing, and avoidance of large gatherings.
While it is certainly advised to take these safety measures in hope to avoid the spread of COVID-19, it is important not to neglect other health issues that you or your loved ones may have been putting off. The CDC notes there was a decrease in emergency room visits for heart attacks (23%), strokes (20%), and blood sugar crises associated with diabetes (10%) in the 10 weeks following the declaration of the COVID-19 national emergency.
Heart attacks and strokes have not taken a vacation. High blood pressure and diabetes are among the leading risk factors for heart disease and stroke. A failure to monitor and manage said conditions could cause lasting and irreversible damage.
At North Shore Medical Center, protocols have been established an effort to isolate infected patients and reduce the risk to non-COVID-19 patients that are having necessary care in our facility. Testing for the virus in patients prior to elective procedures has become standard practice.
Fear of going to the emergency departments in the midst of dealing with the pandemic appears to be a key driving force in this decrease. If you or your loved ones feel sick or need healthcare treatment, do not delay in going to the Emergency Department to seek care and don’t put off taking care of health issues before they become worse. Life continues even with the disruption of COVID-19.
About North Shore Medical Center
North Shore Medical Center is a 337-bed general acute care community hospital located at 1100 NW 95th Street in Miami, Florida. The hospital is part of Tenet Healthcare’s Miami-Dade Group and has been serving the medical and healthcare needs of the North Miami community for more than 65 years. North Shore Medical Center offers a broad range of services, including: 24/7 emergency care, maternity services with a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a cardiac catheterization lab, and psychiatric care. The hospital also offers specialized centers including: A Community Cancer Center, Comprehensive Breast Institute, Sleep Disorders Center, Pain Care Center and the first Certified Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center in Miami Dade.
North Shore Medical Center has consistently won achievement awards with the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines program. The hospital has earned the 2020 Stroke and Target Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus and Advanced Therapy Quality Achievement Award and the 2019 Heart Failure Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. First in Florida Joint Commission Accredited Chest Pain Center. North Shore Medical Center is among 832 Hospitals Nationwide Awarded an “A” from the Leapfrog Hospital Survey for its commitment to keeping patients safe and making the highest safety standards in the U.S for Fall, 2017 and Spring 2018.
North Shore Medical Center is fully accredited by The Joint Commission, the nation’s oldest and largest health care accreditation agency. To learn more about North Shore Medical Center, please visit www.northshoremedical.com.
