The notification for "Hospital Bypass" has been given to area paramedics with increasing frequency the past three weeks. Hospitals go into ambulance bypass mode when beds are full. The flu season this year is severe, and is the primary cause of the full hospitals.

Edward Hospital in Naperville was on hospital bypass for seven hours one day last week, primarily because patients with the flu filled the hospital to capacity. Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield and Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove have also been placed in bypass mode on occasion during the last three weeks.

Northwest Community Hospital was also on bypass this week. Arlington Heights Fire Department ambulances transported patients to Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove. In extreme, life-threatening emergencies, the bypass mode can be exempted for that particular ambulance call. An exemption was made for at least one Arlington Heights paramedic ambulance call this week. The patient was transported to Northwest Community Hospital while the hospital was in bypass mode.

Alexian Brothers Medical Center was put in "Hospital Bypass" mode today.