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Boston Children's Hospital Warns Of High Patient Volume As Tufts Children's Nurses Protest Closing

BOSTON (CBS) - "Where are all these children going to go?" That was the question nurses were asking at a vigil Tuesday to oppose the planned closing of Tufts Children's Hospital.

"We're taking away 41 very essential beds, and that's only magnified by the daily calls that we receive from Children's Hospital, and other hospitals in the state trying to transfer children in," said Mary Cornacchia, a Tufts nurse and representative with the Massachusetts Nurses Association.

The children's section of Tufts is set to close by July. Management cited fewer patients in its pediatric side as a reason for closing it to make room for more adult care.

But less than three miles away at Boston Children's Hospital, that Emergency Room is bursting. "There's a lot going on, but I think there are just more people getting sick," said Marissa Long who was there with her six-year-old son Tuesday. Boston Children's put out a message on social media Monday about "a high volume of patients and increased wait times. Please only come to the Emergency Department if medically necessary."

A spokesperson could not explain why there have been more patients there, but some patients say they've seen it themselves. "I do believe that the parking lot speaks for itself, and it's absurd," said one mother who brought her son to the hospital Tuesday. All levels of the parking lot were full.

Back at Tufts Children's Hospital, nurses say they could help, if only they weren't closing. "There are going to be children sitting and just languishing in emergency departments not getting the correct treatment that they need once this closure takes place," said Cornacchia.

Tufts Medical Center sent out a statement in response to the vigil:

"Every day, we have the honor to witness the exceptional commitment, professionalism, and passion that Tufts Children's Hospital nurses show to our pediatric patients and their families. The decision today to honor the history of this great institution and the many children Tufts Children's has served over the years is one we both understand and respect. While we intend to retain the Neonatal ICU and pediatric outpatient services, the closing of our other inpatient units and active treatment oncology services at Tufts Children's Hospital was an extremely difficult decision…"

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