Important Emergency and Referral Updates
Referral Partners,
Like other veterinary clinics and hospitals in the area, VSC continues to see a high number of patients in our ER and specialty services. The large amount of patients has sharply increased emergency wait times for non-critical patients, and scheduling for booking specialty appointments has lengthened later into the year.
This influx of patients has also led VSC to operate at or near capacity. In order to ensure a high standard of care for all patients in our hospital and to maintain the well-being of our staff, we ask your support in helping us prioritize care for the neediest of patients.
We know that you may be facing similar challenges. We would like to remain true to our commitment to serve you as a partner in the care of your patients and clients, knowing there are limits to how much we can do.
We ask for your support and cooperation with the following steps:
- We continue to prioritize treatment of all life-threatening conditions. Excessive wait times may result in clients with stable pets being asked to return on a different day. Additionally, we may limit our ER caseload in order to prioritize a high level of patient care for hospitalized patients.
- Please only transfer patients to our ER with emergency care needs that require more immediate attention to preserve life and prevent serious affliction. All emergency transfers require a phone call with one of our ECC doctors and a completed ER Referral Form.
- We request that patients with stable or more chronic medical conditions schedule an appointment with you or one of our specialists as needed.
- Those patients that do present to our ER and do not require immediate attention can “Get In Line” and wait in the comfort of their home instead of in our parking lot.
- Stable patients presenting to our ER in need of follow-up from a specialty service may be discharged with scheduled appointments rather than being seen while in-house. We want our busy specialty services to be able to care for those patients who most need immediate care.
- Additionally, because our specialty services are working at or near capacity, availability for appointments will be prioritized for patients with the most immediate need for care. This could result in delays before any appointment is scheduled. If you have a patient that has an urgent need for specialty care, please reach out directly to that specialty service.
We appreciate your help and collaboration to make sure the most critical animals can get the care they need without fear of inadequate capacity. Thank you for the confidence you place in us to partner with you and care for your client’s pets. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call us at 847-459-7535. We will all collectively make our way through this boom in the need for veterinary care! The unique challenges we all face today can be overcome through a collaborative partnership and open communication.
