Economic woes and a failing health care system mean more people than ever before are relying on emergency care at a time when the nation is receiving a C- grade for its support of emergency patients, according to a Report Card on the State of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Nicholas Jouriles, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians(ACEP) called on President-elect Obama and the new Congress to make emergency patients top priority in health care reform proposals and to convene a hearing on the Access to Emergency Medical Services Act.
The Report Card measures state support for emergency patients - not the quality of care provided at specific emergency departments or hospitals. The national category grades are: Access to Emergency Care: D-, Quality and Patient Safety: C+, Medical Liability Environment: C-, Public Health and Injury Prevention: C, and Disaster Preparedness: C+.
Produced for the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)
