Emergency physicians are committed to treating everyone in need of emergency care in a timely manner.
Emergency departments are the foundation of America's health care safety net.
Everyone who comes to an emergency department will be seen, regardless of his or her ability to pay or insurance status. When you visit an emergency department, a quick examination, known as triage, will be conducted to determine whether you need immediate treatment. This means you may have to wait for treatment when more seriously ill or injured patients need to be seen first. Treatment delays can result from large patient volumes, waiting for x-ray and laboratory results, waiting for specialist care, and shortages of beds for patients needing hospital admission. Managed care restrictions have contributed to hospital closings, mergers, and consolidations at record rates, resulting in increased crowding and delays in emergency departments.