emergency department news from FierceHealthcare
News
Rep questions U of Chicago's ED redirection initiative
Not long ago, the University of Chicago Medical Center began a program--the Urban Health Initiative--part of which includes efforts to move non-urgent patients out of its emergency department and... Read more...
Case study: DC, MD face high ambulance diversion rates
Many parts of the country, unfortunately, face problems with ambulance diversion due to overcrowding in the emergency department. One prime example can be found in the D.C. metropolitan area, where... Read more...
IL may set up network of stroke centers
Illinois is well on the way to passing a bill that would create a network of hospitals specializing in stroke treatment. The bill, which is headed for Gov. Pat Quinn, would allow ambulances to bypass... Read more...
Case study: Mass General works to lower elder care costs
Since 2006, Boston's Massachusetts General Hospital has been engaged in efforts to cut costs by minimizing the number of hospital stays and emergency department visits needed by frail elderly... Read more...
Case study: Beth Israel Deaconess uses 'tag' game to boost hand washing
Seeing to it that nurses, doctors, techs and attending physicians all wash their hands is a monumental task. Often, sanctions against those who violate hand washing rules aren't effective, as busy... Read more...
Hospitals, officials gear up for swine-flu fight
For years, there's been talk of how the U.S. health establishment might react if a deliberately-inflicted outbreak of infectious diseases treatable with flu drugs--notably bird flu--were to break out... Read more...
Trends: ED crowding may be pushing growth of urgent care centers
Over the past few years, emergency department crowding has grown steadily worse, with waits climbing to an average of 3.3 hours as of 2006, according to the CDC. Given these pressures on the ED,... Read more...
Bill would increase payments for ED physicians
A new bill being considered by Congress would take steps intended to help ease the worsening situation in the nation's hospital emergency departments, a problem only made worse by the faltering... Read more...
Trend: More hospital patients classified as 'observation'
As Medicare and private health plans get even tougher on which patients can be admitted to hospitals, a growing number of them are being classified as "observation" patients. Typical patients for... Read more...
Emergency doctor group slams U of Chicago's ED diversion plan
Usually, when emergency physicians discuss EMTALA, they're fretting over the cost imposed by uninsured patients who may not have needed their help in the first place. But that doesn't mean they... Read more...
