TCMS Members,

We continue to hear from our hospital partners that there have been drops in the number of visits to the emergency room for non-COVID-19 issues since we made our initial “an emergency is still an emergency” push last month. This is a concerning trend and can affect the long-term health of individuals, increasing likelihoods for complications and death due to deferred treatment of urgent medical care.

Austin Public Health, in partnership with area hospitals, has created the flyer  below to encourage individuals who need medical attention to go to the emergency room. Translated versions of the flyer are available in Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Korean, Arabic, Burmese, and Urdu at austintexas.gov/page/printed-materials-and-required-signage .

Please share this flyer in your offices, buildings, and on social media. Encourage your patients to visit an emergency room if they have severe symptoms, including trouble breathing, difficulty speaking, chest pain, confusion, sudden dizziness, severe abdominal pain, extreme fatigue, blue face and lips or pale coloring, sudden numbness or weakness of an arm or leg, or drooping of one side of the face.

Hospitals are some of the safest and most sanitary places individuals can receive treatment, especially for emergencies. Deferred care can aggravate underlying conditions and can lead to long-term complications or death.

Please encourage your patients to get the care they need during COVID-19.

Thank you,

Dr. Mark Escott

Interim Health Authority and Public Health Medical Director