How freestanding ERs are filling the gap in patient care during COVID surge

As a rise in severe COVID cases fills hospital beds across South Texas, emergency rooms are also being impacted both by an increase in patients and the wait times needed for those who must be transferred to longer term or specialized care.

In an new episode of Commerce Street, an Eyewitness News Original podcast, KENS 5 spoke with the head of a major hospital's emergency department about the increase in both COVID patients and non COVID patients. KENS 5 also spoke with staff from freestanding ERs in the surrounding areas about how those businesses are filling the gap in patient care.