Docs give low grades to nation's emergency rooms

A new report from an ER physician group measured "access to care, quality and patient safety, liability, injury prevention and disaster preparedness," offering a snapshot of national and state policies affecting emergency medicine.

Reuters: Doctors Say Pressure On ERs May Rise, Give U.S. Failing Grade
People seeking urgent medical could face longer wait times and other challenges as demand increases under Obamacare, U.S. emergency doctors said in a report on Thursday that gives the nation's emergency infrastructure a near failing grade. In its latest "report card," the American College of Emergency Physicians said such reduced access earned the nation a "D+"  ... While the report does not measure the actual quality of care provided, it does offer a snapshot of national and state policies affecting emergency medicine as seen by providers (Heavey, 1/16).

Los Angeles Times: California Gets F In Speedy Treatments At ERs From Advocacy Group
An updated national report on U.S. emergency medical care has again awarded California an F for lacking access to speedy treatment, noting that the state has the fewest hospital emergency rooms per capita -; 6.7 per 1 million people -; in the nation. The America's Emergency Care Environment report card, which gauges how well states support emergency care, was released Thursday by the advocacy group American College of Emergency Physicians (Brown, 1/16).

The Seattle Times: Emergency Doctors' Report Faults Washington State
Washington trails all but two other states in providing hospital beds for mentally ill patients, according to a report released Thursday. The state is also among the least prepared for a public-health disaster, but it does lead the country in high seat-belt use and low infant-mortality rates, according to the [report] (Rosenthal, 1/16). 

The Dallas Morning News: Report Card: Texas Bombs Another National Health Care Test – This Time For Emergency Services
Texas is again sinking to the bottom of the barrel on a national health care measure. The state ranks 38th in the nation – down from 29th five years ago – for failing to support emergency patients. ... The report cited high rates of under-insured folks and low Medicaid fee levels for doctor-office visits as factors (Moffeit, 1/16).