Over the past two years, COVID has taken a toll on our community and our country that no one could have imagined back on March 14, 2020, when the first restrictions went into place.

Rural communities like ours have been especially hard hit. Nowhere have the pressures of COVID been so acutely felt than in hospitals. Medical facilities have been stressed by sicker patients and a nationwide staff shortage. We have had two years of a perfect pandemic storm.

Some concerns have been expressed about experiences in our emergency rooms at Bradford Regional Medical Center and Olean General Hospital. We want to address those concerns, and inform the community about what we have done to alleviate pressures on the system now, and make improvements as we move forward.

We know the community has experienced longer wait times in the emergency room. Due to the pandemic, there have been many challenges with admitting and transferring patients to other facilities and we regret the uncertainty that goes with that. We have fewer staff members than was once the norm, similar to hospitals nationwide.

We acknowledge that our patient and family experience has suffered under the stress of COVID, as it has everywhere, especially in rural America.

Upper Allegheny Health System, together with our parent, Kaleida Health System, has responded with aggressive efforts to add staff at all levels. Housekeepers, nurses and doctors are our priority.

We have invested in adding access points for primary care, emergency needs and telehealth. Our emergency department at home is available to you right now. Education and outreach efforts around these additional access points are a priority. We know that when your family needs health care you want to know what to do, and not have to learn a new way to access care.

Importantly, when you do call an ambulance, you want EMS to know the best place to take you. Our regional EMS services have been armed with information about which emergency rooms might have delays and they are empowered to make decisions on where to take you for the timely treatment you expect.

We hope this information gives the community confidence that Bradford Regional Medical Center and Olean General Hospital are here for you, providing access to quality health care in our community.

(Dr. Jill Owens is chief medical officer and vice president of quality for Upper Allegheny Health System/BRMC and OGH.)