CAL/ACEP - Issues Facing Emergency Medicine

Issues Facing Emergency Medicine

(01-01-2004) Gun Safety Message, PSR, firearm, guns, firearms
To download the mp3 version of this safety message, please copy this link into your browser:
http://www.calacep.org/issues/emissues_psa.html (more...)

(09-03-2003) CAL/ACEP issues press release opposing DMHC implied contracting regulation
(more...)

(09-24-2002) Members Urged to Contact their U.S. Representative
(more...)

(08-31-2002) Ax Looms over Harbor-UCLA and Olive View-UCLA
(more...)

(07-25-2002) Possible Ballot Measure To Fund LA Trauma Centers
(more...)

(07-09-2002) Deficits threaten doctor training in L.A. area
Los Angeles County's big cuts in healthcare funding will likely hit the area's medical training programs hard. Medical education programs in the area are expected to cut the number of physician faculty members and medical residents who train at county hospitals.

Los Angeles Times, July 10, 2002 (more...)

(06-30-2002) Physicians for Violence Free Society announce fundraiser
(more...)

(06-14-2002) Increasing Sales Tax Could Help LA County Trauma Services
California Healthline article (more...)

(06-12-2002) New EMTALA Clarifications
(more...)

(01-23-2002) Crowded ERs May Be Sign of Sick U.S. Healthcare System
Reuters Health news release (more...)

(01-13-2002) 13th Annual Legislative Leadership Conference (LLC)
(more...)

(11-26-2001) State's 'Safety Net' Hospitals Face Deep Cuts
California could lose more than $300 million a year from the $1 billion in federal money flowing annually to its 73 "safety net" hospitals. (more...)

(11-06-2001) Majority of California ERs Posted Losses in 2000, More 'Closures Expected'
(more...)

(10-24-2001) E-Update: Update on CAL/ACEP Bioterrorism Efforts
Update on CAL/ACEP's bioterrorism efforts, and important web-links to helpful resources. (more...)

(10-24-2001) CDC Issues Updated Anthrax Treatment Guidelines
Overview of CDC recommendations for treatment of inhalation and cutaneous anthrax. From national ACEP, with links to CDC and MMWR. (more...)

(10-24-2001) State tax increase sought for readiness
Quarter-cent sales tax proposed for law enforcement and public health groups. (more...)

(10-13-2001) ERs' winter nightmare: Bioterror, flu season
USA Today article that speaks to Emergency department crowding (more...)

(10-10-2001) Governor vetoes SB 117
(more...)

(09-30-2001) Orange County Hospitals Prepared for Terrorist Attack
Survey of emergency departments show their readiness in a disaster (more...)

(09-19-2001) Heroes.
Firefighters, police, paramedics and EMTs. Where would we be if it weren't for them? (more...)

(09-15-2001) SB 117 passed and is on the Governor's Desk !!
(more...)

(09-09-2001) Crisis in the ER: Turning away patients. Long delays. A surefire recipe for disaster
Cover story of US News and World Report on 9/10/01. EDs under strain. Ambulance diversions. (more...)

(08-26-2001) Loren Johnson, MD interviewed in Medical Economics
Dr. Johnson comments about ED crisis (more...)

(08-19-2001) ERs Under Strain
Story from ABC describing the additional burden placed on emergency departments by patients requesting OxyContin. (more...)

(08-07-2001) Overcrowded emergency departments unable to handle volume in San Fernando Valley
(more...)

(08-05-2001) Amid Nationwide Prosperity, ERs See a Growing Emergency
Ambulances are being turned away, patients are being billeted in hospital hallways. The country's capacity for treatment can't keep pace with rising demand. LA Times
(more...)

(07-31-2001) POLL: Californians support increased funding for Emergency Services
CAL/ACEP entered the following question in a statewide public poll of whether Californians would favor or oppose a statewide ballot measure to allocate $500 million from the state General Fund budget this year to improve hospital emergency room services.

(more...)

(07-15-2001) Health Care in Danger, CMA reports
Article in Fairfield Daily Rebublic outlining physician shortages and safety-net crisis (more...)

(07-02-2001) Senate Passes Patients' Rights Bill
Patients' rights bill improves access to emergency departments and direct access to medical specialists. Also grants patients right to sue insurers and HMOs over decisions that lead to injury or death. (more...)

(06-25-2001) Number of ER Visits Increases 14% Since 1992
California Healthline summary story (more...)

(06-17-2001) San Francisco General Hospital Turns Away Private-Pay Patients, Citing 'Safety-Net' Mission, Finances
San Francisco Chronicle and California Healthline article on San Francisco General and the safetynet crisis. (more...)

(06-13-2001) Fresno County-Area EDs 'Overcrowded,' Increasingly Diverting Ambulances
(more...)

(06-06-2001) Sonoma County Voters Approve Initiative to Fund Palm Drive ED
Emergency Department closure averted. Sebastopol safetynet remains intact (more...)

(05-31-2001) Bills aim to increase number of nation's nurses
Legislation in Congress focuses on a growing nursing shortage, which some
doctors say is threatening their ability to practice medicine. Attempts to save the safety net. Discusses the Nurse Reinvestment Act, Nursing Employment and Education Development Act and the Nurses of Tomorrow Act. . (more...)

(05-14-2001) CAL / ACEP e-Update
New Executive Director chosen and other stories (more...)

(05-09-2001) ACEP JOINS AHA IN RELEASING EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT TRENDS; CALLS FOR NATIONAL LEADERSHIP TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES
The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) today joined the American Hospital Association (AHA) in releasing a report that examines the role and challenges faced by hospital emergency departments in providing an essential community service. (more...)

(05-09-2001) RWJK Media Release: Emergency Room Demand Outstrips Supply; Patients Potentially at Risk
Too many patients, too few beds and a severe nursing shortage mean hospitals across the country must increasingly divert critically ill patients to other emergency rooms, according to a study released today by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC).

(more...)

(05-09-2001) Emergency Room Diversions: A Symptom of Hospitals Under Stress
Emergency room (ER) diversions—when ambulances are redirected from one hospital emergency room to another—are becoming common in communities across the country, raising concern that critically ill patients are increasingly confronting obstacles to timely medical care. (more...)

(05-08-2001) U.S. Emergency Health Safety Net Unraveling
(more...)

(04-26-2001) Doctors Rally at Capitol for Higher Medi-Cal Reimbursements
(more...)

(03-31-2001) Crowded Care: Modesto Emergency Departments
Modesto Bee article about overcrowding in emergency departments (more...)

(03-26-2001) EM/PAC
EM/PAC chair, John Bibb, M.D., updates the campaign for the $1 million PAC and thanks the groups that have committed to $500 for each FTE. He also thanks the people and groups who transferred their donation to the tobacco settlement funds PAC over the EM/PAC. (more...)

(03-24-2001) Consequences of nationwide nursing shortage hit home
Merced Sun-Star article about nursing shortage (more...)

(03-14-2001) Emergency Services Legislation Approaches First Policy Committee:
This a call for you to reach your senator to speak in favor of SB 254 (more...)

(03-08-2001) COURT ALLOWS CMA RACKETEERING CASE AGAINST HMOS
U.S. District Judge Federico A. Moreno on Friday,
March 2 rejected motions to dismiss CMA's suit
against the nation's major for-profit health plans (more...)

(03-06-2001) Financial Momentum Shifts From Insurers to Healthcare Providers
(Reuters Health release) Mar 07 - After years of financial setbacks forced by insurance plans, physicians and hospitals are regaining the upper hand (more...)

(03-04-2001) Hospital crews have seen it all
Merced Sun-Star article about emergency departments (more...)

(03-01-2001) PacifiCare Says Faces Censure; Stock off
Managed care company PacifiCare Health Systems Inc. on Thursday said that the State of California has issued a censure against the company for late payment of claims to hospitals and doctors. (more...)

(02-28-2001) TESTIMONY CONTINUES IN SOLVENCY HEARINGS:
CMA brief about IPA insolvencies and AB 1600 (Keeley, D-Boulder Creek) and AB 142 (Richman, R-Granada Hills. (more...)

(02-28-2001) Valley ERs packed, but not by flu
Fresno Bee article about the long waits at Fresno emergency departments (more...)

(02-27-2001) El Dorado County to Spend Tobacco Money on Health Care
California Healthline and Sacramento Bee article on vote to spend county tobacco settlement money on healthcare (more...)

(02-25-2001) CAL / ACEP e-Update
February 2001 update including report from the CAL/ACEP Legislative Leadership Conference (more...)

(02-23-2001) Superior Court Upholds Constitutionality of Measure H
On February 22, 2001, Orange County Superior Court Commissioner Jane Myers yesterday upheld the constitutionality of Measure H, the voter-approved Orange County ballot initiative that requires the county to spend the majority of its share of the tobacco settlement on health care. (more...)

(02-22-2001) KPC filings spur more questions
Riverside Press-Enterprise story about suspect administrative and legala payments and salaries (more...)

(02-17-2001) CAL/ACEP PARTNERS WITH CMA TO SAVE THE SAFETY NET
Senators Joe Dunn and Jackie Speier are sponsoring legislation which will bring system and financial reform to our collapsing emergency medical system. The white paper shows $400 Million Deficit (more...)

(02-11-2001) Patients bypassing primary doctors for emergency care
AMNews article Feb. 12, 2001 With the growth of "prudent layperson" laws and other pressures, health plans are backing off from strict limits on visits to the emergency department.
(more...)

(01-29-2001) ER Medicine Top Issue for 2001 Legislative Session
Find a hyperlink that will access the Dan Walters' column from the Sacramento Bee which talks about the top four issues, in addition to energy, which will highlight the 2001 Session. One of the issues mentioned is the ailing ER system.

(more...)

(01-24-2001) Reports urge money for ERs
Jnauary 24, 2001, article in Sacramento Bee by Lisa Rapaport reporting on the overflow of patients in trauma centers and emergency departments. Critical funding is needed. (more...)

(01-23-2001) Study Says Much of State Lacks Trauma Centers
Nearly all of the Central Valley and huge swaths of Northern Californialack ready access to high-level trauma care, a new report shows. (more...)

(01-23-2001) CMA report on ED crisis
Read the entire report on the unfunded emergency crisis in California (more...)

(01-23-2001) ACEP press release on preservation of safety net
ACEP PRAISES OIG REPORT; RENEWS CALL FOR ACTION TO PRESERVE THE NATION’S HEALTH CARE SAFETY NET (more...)

(01-22-2001) Struggling to Stay Afloat, Save Lives in ER's Chaos
LA Times editorial by Mark Morocco (more...)

(01-21-2001) Doctors Say Emergency Rooms Ailing
San Diego Union-Tribune article in the January 19, 2001, issue by Cheryl Clark. The state's hospital emergency rooms are in a pertetual stat eof crisis because of $400 million in annual losses. (more...)

(01-21-2001) Nurses, Health Industry Officials Differ on Nurse-to-Patient Ratios
California nurses and health industry officials are squaring off over proposed nurse-to-patient ratio standards. Article publised in the 1/22/01 issue of the Ventura County Star. (more...)

(01-21-2001) Los Angeles Times Urges State To Oversee Hospitals' Finances
A Los Angeles Times editorial cautions officials to "pause" before making decisions and consider two recent studies, one by the California Medical Association and another by the Service Employees International Union. Article in 1/22/01 issue. (more...)

(01-21-2001) CALIFORNIA'S EMERGENCY AND TRAUMA SERVICES
January 18, 2001 CMA News Release announcing that CMA released a report which details losses suffered by emergency departments and introducting legislation that will save lives and repair the deliver system. (more...)

(01-21-2001) California's Emergency Services: A System in Crisis, January 2001
Report on the state of the state's emergency care system released January 2001, including hospital closures, hospital utilization and financial condition, CMA policies and recommendations, and trauma and emergency services background. (more...)

(01-21-2001) Nurses, Health Industry Officials Differ on Nurse-to-Patient Ratios
Abstract of article in Ventura County Star (more...)

(01-18-2001) Emergency Rooms in State Rack Up Debt
Hospitals lose millions, doctors' report says

Victoria Colliver, San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer Friday, January 19, 2001 (more...)

(01-18-2001) State Urged to Intervene in Hospitals' Urgent Care
Los Angeles Times article dated 1/18/01 regarding Health: Emergency rooms are closing because of financial losses, report says, and should be supported just like police and fire services.
By JENIFER WARREN, Times Staff Writer
(more...)

(01-18-2001) Doctors say emergency rooms ailing
San Diego Union Tribune article outlining losses to emergency departments and hospitals (more...)

(01-05-2001) Opportunity to participate in BTLS conference
Download the pdf to learn more (more...)

(01-04-2001) Flu Taxes Hospitals
Article in L.A. Times, 1/4/01, featuring CAL/ACEP's own Dr. Higgins. (more...)

(12-31-2000) Congress Calls for EMTALA Study
Congress has directed the GAO to report on the impact of EMTALA on hospital emergency departments (more...)

(12-25-2000) Emergency room crisis worsening
Boston Globe article on Emergency Department overcrowding and ambulance diversion (more...)

(12-14-2000) Overtime law hurting ER staffing efforts
East Bay Business Times article discusses Overtime law and how it affects Emergency physicians and nurses (more...)

(11-26-2000) LA Times reports on healthcare crisis in LA County
L.A. Sinks Into 'Chernobyl of Health Care'
Crisis: Financial woes, a nursing shortage and lack of insurance plague the system. November 25, 2000 (more...)

(11-07-2000) Landslide For Emergency Physician-Sponsored Measure H in Orange County
Measure H allocates 80% of Orange County’s tobacco settlement funds to health care (more...)

(10-31-2000) Californian John Bibb elected to National ACEP Board
(more...)

(10-28-2000) Medicare payments to increase in 2001
ACEP article that summarizes the HCFA Medicare changes in 2001 (more...)

(09-30-2000) GOVERNOR DAVIS SIGNS BILLS TO PROTECT
Governor Gray Davis has signed legislation designed to speed HMO payments to health care providers and two bills that will help hospitals keep their emergency rooms open. (AB 1455 by Assemblyman Jack Scott)
(more...)

(09-30-2000) Department of Managed Health Care establishes website
The Department of Managed Health Care website at http://www.hmohelp.ca.gov has been updated to include new information that may be of interest to health plans and providers. You can find the following new information on our Committees and Boards page: Updated Meeting Schedules for the Advisory Committee on Managed Health Care and Financial Solvency Standards Board (more...)

(09-30-2000) Medicare in California to pay for observation codes
MEDICARE CARRIER ADVISORY COMMITTEE UPDATE
“NHIC Medicare Carrier Affirms ED Observation Codes Payment” (more...)

(09-27-2000) GOVERNOR DAVIS SIGNS BILL APPROPRIATING $24.8 MILLION TO EMSFUND
Governor Gray Davis Signed SB 2132 (Dunn and Perata
CAL/ACEP has secured a $24.8 million for emergency and on call physicians. (more...)

(08-31-2000) MEDI-CAL RATES INCREASED AN AVERAGE 17%
A physician outcry over inadequate Medi-Cal reimbursement rates culminated in the largest single year increase in over 15 years. The final state budget, signed by Governor Gray Davis, included $221.4 million for physician rate increases. (more...)

(08-09-2000) SB 1142 passed the Assembly Local Government Committee
SB 1142, authored by Senator Joe Dunn, narrowed passed the Assembly Local Government Committee. The bill prevents Orange and El Dorado Counties from frustrating the will of the votes by "securitizing" the tobacco settlement funds. (more...)

(07-24-2000) Physicians Criticize Health Plan Coalition
Physicians are calling on a coalition of 22 health plans and two trade associations to drop their attempt at self-regulation and instead support a national patients' bill of rights under consideration by Congress. (more...)

(07-06-2000) New Documentation Guidelines Now on Web
The Health Care Financing Administration has posted a draft of the new evaluation and management documentation guidelines on its web site so physicians can review them and send comments to HCFA.

Full Text of this article at:
http://acep.org/library/index.cfm/id/2079 (more...)

(05-31-2000) Educate yourself about the collapsing ED safety net
The Collapsing Health Care Safety Net
What Every Emergency Physician Must Know and Preach
(more...)

(05-31-2000) ER Overcrowding and Ambulance Diversion
Emergency Departments are overwhelmed and overcrowded (more...)

(05-31-2000) Hospital Closures
Hospital closures are a sign of the collapsing safety net. When EDs close the workload is increased to the nearby hospitals. This places a burden on the local citizens who depended on a close facility for healthcare. (more...)

(05-31-2000) Loss of Physician Talent
Emergency physicians are leaving California for other states (more...)

(05-31-2000) Funding Crisis
The uninsured are rising, HMO's are denying payment, and emergency physicians are required to evaluate and treat patients, but not guaranteed they will be paid. (more...)

(05-31-2000) On Call Crisis
People have suffered because of a lack of availability of on call specialists (more...)

(05-31-2000) Violence in the ED and US
Emergency physicians have frequent contact with victims of firearms violence. Emergency physicians have been effective in promoting other injury prevention measures, including motorcycle helmet laws and child safety seats. It is fitting that emergency physicians should assume leadership in curbing the epidemic of firearms violence. (more...)

(05-31-2000) Educate yourself about the collapsing ED safety net
The Collapsing Health Care Safety Net
What Every Emergency Physician Must Know and Preach
(more...)

(03-20-2000) SF News Coverstory: Emergency Crisis
Brief about the overcrowded situation in Bay Area Emergency Departments covered by KCBS (more...)

(02-15-2000) Emergency Medical System on Brink of Collapse, CMA Warns Assembly
February 16, 2001 CMA ALERT discussing updates on the emergency care crisis (more...)

(01-02-2000) Emergency rooms struggle with crowding Ambulances sometimes directed away from the nearest hospital
USA Today frontpage article (more...)

(12-31-1999) CALIFORNIA'S EMERGENCY AND TRAUMA SERVICES
January 18, 2001 CMA News Release regarding a report CMA released detailing money losses of emergency departments and unveiling new legislation that would save lives and repair the delivery system. (more...)

(12-31-1999) State Senator Proposes Bills Targeting the Uninsured Adults
(more...)

(12-31-1999) Request for CAL/ACEP Member support in preventing gun-injury violence.
Letter from Injury Prevention Subcommittee, describing gun-injury violence (more...)