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Winston-Salem, NC - Forsyth Medical Center said today it is seeing an increase in poisonous snake bites due to the hotter-than-normal temperatures. In the last two weeks, the emergency department staff has treated six patients bitten by copperheads.

"We understand that when it gets hot like this copperheads look to find cooler places," says Robin Voss, director of Emergency and Trauma Services at Forsyth Medical Center. "We're told they will curl up on porches, decks, patios or any place where they can find cool cement or other surfaces. Most of the patients we've seen have been bitten as they have gone about their normal activities."

According to Voss, copperhead bites, while not as deadly as some other types of snakes, still require immediate treatment.

"Anyone bitten by a snake should seek medical attention as soon as possible," says Voss. 'Sometimes it may be difficult for people to recognize a poisonous snake, so the best course of action is to seek medical help."

Novant Health is a non-profit healthcare system in western North Carolina, serving people in 32 counties reaching from southern Virginia to northern South Carolina. Novant and the majority of its facilities are 501(C)3, private, community organizations.

The healthcare system consists of seven hospitals in the Triad and Charlotte markets: Forsyth Medical Center, Medical Park Hospital, and Thomasville Medical Center in the Triad market; Presbyterian Hospital, Presbyterian Orthopaedic Hospital, Hemby Children's Hospital and Presbyterian Hospital Matthews of the Charlotte market. Other facilities and programs of Novant Health include three philanthropic foundations, three nursing home and senior residential facilities, physician clinics, outpatient surgery and diagnostic centers, rehabilitation programs and community health outreach programs.