Adding additional hospital beds to the ICU improves emergency care, reduces patient risks and increases hospital revenue. This is according to a study published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, in which researchers spent two years monitoring the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. The study reports that every hour of ambulance diversion time cost the hospital a hefty $1,100 dollars. But when more beds were added, the hospital earned an additional $175,000 monthly from ambulance patients. The study did not assess how much revenue the hospital lost by taking beds from other departments to add them to the ER.
This seems to be a rare win-win situation for everyone involved. Patients that aren't diverted to another hospital benefit by receiving faster treatment and hospitals can increase their revenue by providing more access to emergency care.
- see this Modern Healthcare report