Some hospitals are postponing elective procedures to preserve capacity as a severe flu season pushes admissions higher and fills emergency departments across the U.S.
UnityPoint Health-Des Moines said it will delay some surgeries and procedures requiring overnight admission through Jan. 13 amid a sharp rise in flu cases.
“Our priority is to focus resources on patients with the most urgent needs while maintaining the highest standard of care,” the system said in a statement to the Des Moines Register on Jan. 8. “We are closely monitoring hospital capacity and will provide updates as needed.”
Influenza admissions are climbing nationally, and experts say the peak is still weeks away. CDC data shows more than 33,000 people were hospitalized with the flu during the week ending Dec. 27, and hospital leaders are bracing for continued increases.
“Our children’s hospital is bursting at the seams. We’re at capacity,” Daniel Park, MD, medical director of the emergency department at UNC Children’s Hospital in Chapel Hill, N.C., told Today.com in a Jan. 7 report. “We have to get creative in creating space in every crevice of the emergency department.”
By several key measures, this year’s flu season is already historically severe. Around 8.2% of outpatient visits for the week ending Dec. 27 were for flu-like illness, which is the highest level recorded since the 1997-98 season, according to CDC data. In the same week, New York state reported 4,546 flu hospitalizations — the most recorded in a single week in state history, health officials said in a Jan. 2 statement.
“It’s an unusual season. It’s been severe, with a rapid onset,” Michael Phillips, MD, director of the division of Infectious diseases at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and chief epidemiologist at New York City-based NYU Langone Health, told Today.com. “New York was hit hard and hit early. Our emergency departments are packed.”
In Michigan, flu-related admissions are up 40% compared with this time last year, and health officials say more children require intensive care.
“We’re hearing from (pediatric hospitals and other facilities that treat children) those influenza cases are increasing exponentially,” Natasha Bagdasarian, MD, the state’s chief medical executive, said during a Jan. 7 press briefing, according to The Detroit News. “They’re also seeing a massive influx of influenza cases in their ICUs and on ventilators.”
The current flu wave is compounding what has already become a baseline challenge for hospitals. Even outside of respiratory virus season, many hospitals consistently operate near capacity, making effective strategies to improve flow and throughput especially critical during this time.
Nearly 69% of staffed inpatient beds nationwide were in use for the week ending Dec. 27, according to HHS data. Prior to this, occupancy has consistently remained above 70% since 2023, apart from a small dip around Thanksgiving, which may reflect inconsistencies with data reporting around the holidays.
As capacity strain has become a daily reality for many hospitals, executives increasingly view patient throughput as a year-round operational priority rather than a seasonal concern. In response, hospitals are doubling down on efforts to reduce length of stay, streamline discharge coordination and relieve pressure in emergency departments.
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