A primer on emergency care
Emergency care is a central plank of America’s healthcare system, providing essential aid for patients in crisis. Emergency departments treat time-sensitive, unexpected illnesses or injuries and provide nonurgent health services for those who don’t, or can’t, receive health assistance elsewhere.
Despite its critical role in healthcare, an emergency department is a relatively recent occurrence. The first emergency department opened just over six decades ago—founded in Alexandria, Virginia, in 1961. That facility offered emergency care in a 450-square-foot basement room of Alexandria Hospital. There are now more than 150 million emergency room visits annually in the US, amounting to costs of more than $80B. By definition, an emergency department is a hospital facility staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, providing unscheduled services to patients requiring immediate assistance.
Federal law bars hospitals that receive Medicare funding from turning away any emergency patient. If a hospital has an emergency department, it must stabilize the patient before discharging them—regardless of the patient’s insurance status or ability to pay.
Explore everything else we’ve found on Emergency Care.
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