Lakeside Hospital emergency department to reopen monday, May 4

The Lakeside Hospital emergency department will reopen at 8:00am, May 4, again providing compassionate, expert ER care to patients of all ages.

Tulane Health System temporarily closed the Metairie ER to consolidate its emergency department staff at its downtown Tulane Medical Center campus, which was experiencing a surge of COVID-19 patients.

"With that patient volume stabilizing, we're able to move that staff back to Tulane Lakeside and reopen our emergency department there," said Dr. Robert Lynch, Tulane Health System CEO. "We are continuing to monitor patient volume at all our locations, and we remain prepared to pivot and provide care wherever it is needed most."

Tulane Lakeside also remains open for inpatient services, including women's and maternity services, neonatal intensive care services, orthopedics and inpatient rehabilitation. The hospital has also begun performing select scheduled surgeries and procedures.

"Our ERs are safe and available for all patients seeking medical attention for urgent health concerns, whether COVID-19 related or not," Dr. Lynch said. "We have been and will continue to be proactively engaged in the safe management of COVID-19. We have proactive infection prevention protocols and safety measures that protect our patients and colleagues at all of our facilities."

These measures include providing masks to anyone entering Tulane hospitals or emergency rooms. And rapid testing capabilities allow Tulane providers to determine if someone tests positive for COVID-19 in just a few minutes - which helps protect patients and staff from possible infection, he added.

"If you or a loved one are experiencing emergency symptoms of any kind, it is both safe and necessary to seek medical attention right away," Dr. Lynch said. "And if you experience severe symptoms such as chest pain or weakness or numbness in limbs, call 911 so your care can begin on the way to the hospital."

To see average ER wait times at all Tulane Health System ERs, visit TulaneLakeside.com.