Kansas University Hospital reported a growth in patient volume while reporting a decrease in its emergency room diversion hours.

Diversion hours are times when emergency rooms do not accept ambulances for a variety of reasons, one of which is the emergency room being at maximum capacity.

According to data released at the hospital’s authority board meeting, it reported 2.5 hours of diversion this April, down from a high of 231 in April 2008.

Hospital spokesman Dennis McCulloch said the hospital had worked to reduce its number of diversion hours, including a hospitalwide bed planning review and an emergency room expansion that added more staffing and six new rooms.

That expansion came online in February.