How Erie hospitals plan to deal with traffic issues during April 8 eclipse

Erie's two largest hospitals are preparing for the April 8 eclipse by staggering employee shifts, rescheduling elective procedures, closing certain medical offices and ensuring that ambulances have access to their emergency departments.

VisitErie officials have said the eclipse could draw up to 200,000 visitors to Erie County, which could increase demand for emergency medical services at both UPMC Hamot and Saint Vincent Hospital.

"It's hard to predict what will happen, but we have been running through all types of scenarios," said Dr. Christopher Clark, Saint Vincent president. "The one thing we are pretty sure about, we expect a lot of traffic issues."

Traffic congestion around a hospital can not only prevent ambulances from transporting emergency patients in a timely manner, but also can make it difficult for nurses, doctors, medical technicians and other staff to get to work on time.

UPMC Hamot faces a particular challenge because it is located between two areas of downtown Erie where crowds are expected to gather for the eclipse: Perry Square and Dobbins Landing.

"We're expecting an event similar to the Tall Ships festival, where there is a lot of focus and traffic along the bayfront," said Jason Chenault, Hamot's director of emergency, hospitalist and critical care services. "We want our patients and staff to be able to get to the hospital safely."

Hospitals changing work shifts, closing some medical offices

Hamot is closing many of its medical offices that day, including the UPMC Hamot Surgery Center, and its offices at 380 E. Bayfront Parkway, 100 Peach St. and 300 State St. Many elective surgeries and procedures at UPMC Hamot originally scheduled for April 8 have been rescheduled, Chenault said.

Both Hamot and Saint Vincent are altering typical work schedules so that few, if any, employees arrive or leave the hospital during the eclipse, which will peak around 3:15 p.m. The hospitals also will make a concerted effort to discharge all recovered patients by late morning.

"We are looking at increasing the number of clinical staff who will work 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. that day, assuring that they won't be affected by traffic issues that may pop up in the afternoon," Clark said.

Ambulances will use alternate route to UPMC Hamot

Making sure ambulances have clear access to emergency departments might be the most important concern.

An alternate route to Hamot will be used April 8 that doesn't rely on the Bayfront Parkway, which tends to get congested whenever there are major events at Dobbins Landing or the Bayfront Convention Center.

"We are telling our staff to utilize East 12th Street and Holland Streets when they transport patients to Hamot," said David Basnak, EmergyCare chief executive. "The city plans to implement parking restrictions on Holland to make it easier for our vehicles to get to Hamot."

Boat will transport emergency patients off Presque Isle State Park

Plans are also being made to transport patients who suffer medical emergencies while viewing the eclipse at Presque Isle State Park, Basnak said.

Traffic congestion is expected on the peninsula that afternoon, so the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is making plans with EmergyCare and others to transport people by boat.

"DCNR is coordinating those efforts, but the plan right now is to use whatever boat is available, such as a Coast Guard or DCNR boat, to take those people to the Bayfront Convention Center or the Sheraton (Erie Bayfront Hotel)," Basnak said. "That's where we would pick them up and transport them to the hospital.

"We expect it just to be too difficult to drive someone off the peninsula at that time," Basnak said.

Paramedics from Saint Vincent's parent organization, Allegheny Health Network, will be stationed at Presque Isle April 8 to assist with any medical issues, Clark said.

Hamot's and Saint Vincent's emergency departments will be fully staffed April 8. Ophthalmologists will be on call all day at both places, as usual, in case someone suffers an eye injury viewing the eclipse, Clark and Chenault said.

"We don't expect to see a lot of patients with those types of injuries, but we will be prepared," Clark said.

Contact David Bruce at dbruce@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNBruce.