The emergency room remains busy at Mid-Columbia Medical Center in The Dalles. MCMC Emergency Services Director Rhianna Hurf says the metro area’s capacity and staffing issues trickle down to the local area. She notes we have an aging population that is getting sicker, so they are seeing more patients leading to longer wait times in the ER. MCMC Emergency Services Nurse Manager Dawn Opbreck says staffing shortages at numerous level of medical care are also having an impact. That backs up patient volumes in the hospital, which leads to ER patients needing admittance to the hospital facing delays in getting a bed.