Published May 01, 2025
Westerly, RI, is home to the popular Misquamicut Beach community and the seaside enclave of Watch Hill – just two reasons the town’s population – and hence patient volume in Westerly Hospital’s Emergency Department – surges in summer.
However, with high volumes due to flu, RSV and COVID-19 viruses circulating throughout the winter, this year has been somewhat of an endless summer for ED staff.
Last July and August, the ED saw 2,356 and 2,214 patients, respectively, including the annual wave of patients with body surfing or alcohol-related injuries and other conditions. In comparison, the ED treated 1,865 patients in November; 2,057 in December; and 2,092 in January.
No matter the season, the ED team has been successfully handling high volumes and simultaneously earning strong patient satisfaction scores. For much of the past year, the ED’s Press-Ganey scores for “likely to recommend” have hovered in the 75 to 80 percent range. One recent patient commented that their caregiver “was very knowledgeable and did a great job… Great sense of humor and great communicator, which made the treatment much less stressful.”
It’s not by accident. “Our team members hang in there with strong camaraderie and support, always helping each other out,” said Bethany Gingerella, RN, ED nurse manager.
“Everyone is also working hard to communicate with our patients,” said Nader Bahadory, DO, ED medical director. “If someone has to wait a little longer than desired, we try to talk to them about triage and wait times. It can be exhausting, but our staff still makes every patient a priority. They do an incredible job.”
The ED team also consistently enhances its preparedness, including aligning with Yale New Haven Health’s Care Signature Clinical Pathways. For example, caregivers regularly train in the use of the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) rule, which helps doctors determine if a child with a head injury should receive a CT scan. In many cases, they can reduce unnecessary scans and avoid exposing children to radiation.
While Westerly Hospital doesn’t perform emergency angioplasty for heart attack patients or provide full stroke capabilities, the team is adept at diagnosing, stabilizing and prepping patients for further care at L+M or Yale New Haven hospitals. That includes using the health system’s Telestroke program to consult with YNHH neurologists when needed. In short, Westerly Hospital’s ED can handle any patient emergency, helped at times with resources from Yale New Haven Health.
“Westerly Hospital is isolated in a corner of Rhode Island with few hospitals, so our small hospital has to cover a big geographical area,” Dr. Bahadory said. “Every day I’m amazed at how our team treats so many patients with such a high level of skill and professionalism. I’m proud to be part of this team.”
