Forum Session

Canary in the Coal Mine or Crying Wolf? Examining Crowding in America's Emergency Departments
July 27, 2006

Manager

Jessamy Taylor, MPP

Summary

This Forum session explored the crowded state of many emergency departments (EDs) in the United States. Speakers described where crowding is happening, how it is measured, its key causes, and its consequences on patients, payers, and staff. The discussion considered potential ways to mitigate and alleviate crowding, from hospital-specific solutions to broader federal policy fixes. Key findings and recommendations from the Institute of Medicine’s June 2006 report Hospital-Based Emergency Care: At the Breaking Point, part of the Future of Emergency Care series, were highlighted.

Speakers

Benjamin Chu, MD, President, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, Southern California Region

With a Discussion Featuring:
Arthur Kellermann, MD, Professor and Chairman, Department of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine; Bruce Siegel, MD, Research Professor, Department of Health Policy, School of Public Health and Health Services, George Washington University Medical Center; Robert Bass, MD, Executive Director, Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems