Thu, March 28th 2024 at 5:09 PMStrong Memorial Hospital at the University of Rochester Medical Center.
Rochester, N.Y. — With the total solar eclipse less than two weeks away, the University of Rochester Medical Center and local emergency services are planning ahead for the large influx of visitors expected April 8. URMC and EMS agencies are anticipating eclipse day will go smoothly, but safety plans have been put into place in the event of any emergencies.are expected to visit Monroe County for the total solar eclipse, and local hospitals have been preparing for months.
"In our areas that are most likely to be affected, our emergency departments, our urgent care centers, we've attempted to staff up where we can," said David Chafetz, senior program administrator for emergency medicine at URMC. "We're anticipating that our volumes will likely be a bit higher that day."Chafetz said the biggest concern on eclipse day is getting patients from point A to point B.
Since Strong West is located directly in the path of totality, Chafetz said the Brockport campus is increasing staff that day and partnering up with public service to ensure staff and patients can get there safely."If they are still seeing persistent spots or floaters or flashes, those would all be reasons to seek an evaluation," Cushman said. "But again, the most important thing is that this is 100% preventable by getting a pair of glasses and watching through those.