Following a recent Peak Census notice, we saw there were questions about what that means — and why it happens.
Peak Census is very fluid. It reflects hospital conditions at a particular point in time and can change throughout the day based on patient volumes, available inpatient beds and the needs of patients currently being treated.
Yesterday, Anderson Hospital activated its Peak Census procedures due to a high volume of patients in our Emergency Department, including patients awaiting available inpatient beds. Today, we are no longer at Peak Census — a good example of how quickly hospital census can change.
Illinois hospitals are required to maintain procedures for managing peak census and surge capacity. At Anderson, we also choose to communicate our Peak Census status publicly because we want to be transparent with our patients and community when current volumes could result in longer-than-usual wait times.
Is something going around?
Our healthcare system typically sees an increase in patient visits this time of year as children return to school and seasonal illnesses begin circulating. That is not unusual. Yesterday’s Peak Census was not attributed to any one particular illness or trend.
For information about broader illness trends or potential surges in our area, the Madison County Health Department is the best resource for countywide public health information and surveillance.
We appreciate our community’s interest in understanding what Peak Census means. When we share these notices, our goal is simple: to keep our patients informed about current conditions so they know what they may experience when seeking care at that time.