JAMA: Number of ERs decline just as emergency visits rise

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reports that the number of emergency departments has been declining for the past two decades.

The New York Times: Fewer Emergency Rooms Available As Need Rises
Hospital emergency rooms, particularly those serving the urban poor, are closing at an alarming rate even as emergency visits are rising, according to a report published on Tuesday (Rabin, 5/17).

Politico Pro: Study: High Need, Low Profits Close ERs
Emergency rooms, dubbed "the safety net of the safety net" because of their mandate to treat everyone regardless of the ability to pay, have been declining in number over the past two decades — and those that have closed are more likely to be in areas with high concentrations of poor, uninsured and minority residents. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Wednesday, the number of emergency departments in nonrural areas of the U.S. has dropped by nearly 30 percent since 1990 (Webber, 5/18).