ACEP in the News

This is a weekly round-up of national and local newspaper, magazine, and television reports that mention the American College of Emergency Physicians, our issues, or our spokespeople.

New York Times
E.R.'s Account for Half of Hospital Admissions, Study Says (May 20, 2013)
Emergency rooms account for about half of the nation’s hospital admissions and accounted for virtually all of the rise in admissions between 2003 and 2009, according to a study released on Monday. Although emergency rooms are widely considered expensive places for diagnostic care, physicians are increasingly relying on them to determine whether a patient needs to be hospitalized.
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Pennsylvania Daily Record
Letter to the Editor: ER docs always there to help (May 23, 2013)
"The medical response after the recent Boston Marathon bombings highlighted the very best of emergency medicine and the value it provides. Emergency departments are the hub for medical issues that come up suddenly, whether it's a mass casualty event, like the bombings, or patients referred by primary care doctors."
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Urbana DailyCitizen
M'Burg Fire Chief ReceivesStar of Life Award (May 15, 2013)
"The award was presented to Anderson by Mel House, executive director of the Ohio Division of EMS, Dr.David Keseg, director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, and Laura Tiberi, executive director of the Ohio Chapter of American College of Emergency Physicians."

Medill Reports
Insurance Companies Delay Psych Patients' HospitalAdmittance, Study Shows (May 15, 2013)
"The three-month study, published in the Annals of EmergencyMedicine, evaluated a total of 53 patients who came to theCambridge Health Alliance's Psychiatric Emergency Servicesdepartment looking for treatment."
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Global Post
MedEvac Cost Effective With Modest UseImprovements (May 15, 2013)
"Emergency helicopter transport is expensive, but could become costeffective if it's used mainly for cases where it will make ameasurable difference in trauma patients' survival or long-termdisabilities, according to a new analysis."
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USA Today
Educate Public on Gun Safety:#tellusatoday (May 13, 2013)
"The American College of Emergency Physicians deplores the improperuse of firearms and supports legislative action to decrease thethreat to public safety."
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CBS 5 - Wyoming
Next Week is National Emergency Medical ServicesWeek (May 13, 2013)
"One Mission, One Team" is this year's theme for EMS week which issponsored by the American College of Emergency Physicians. For overtwenty years the event has been bringing local communities andmedical personnel together to publicize safety and honor those whoprovide the lifesaving services."
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The Rancher
Gov. Perry Appoints Eight to Texas MedicalBoard (May 13, 2013)
"Robert B. Simonson of Ducanville is past president of Physicians Emergency Care Associated, and chair of the Methodist Dallas Medical Center Department of Emergency Medicine. He is a member of the Texas Medical Association, American College of Emergency Physicians, Air Medical Physicians Association, and Methodist Dallas Medical Center Executive Committee."
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Crains ChicagoBusiness
Emergency Room Waiting Game (May 13,2013)
"Long ER times have been linked to bad treatment results. Patients admitted on days when ERs are overcrowded are 5 percent more likely to die in the hospital, according to a 2012 study published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine."
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Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Website
Improved Access to Primary Care Might Not Defer Frequent Emergency Department Use Without Improved Social Services (May 10, 2013)
"A new study by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)/U.S.Department of Veterans Affairs Clinical Scholar Kelly Doran, MD,casts doubt on that premise, suggesting that a significant group of patients will continue to make heavy use of the emergency department even when they have ready access to primary care. Thestudy was published online in the Annals of Emergency Medicine."
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Family Practice News
Ultrasound Expedites Pediatric Emergency Evaluations (May 8, 2013)
"It makes sense to use ultrasound for pediatric patients, but there's been a delay in picking up this idea. Only now is (the use of bedside ultrasonography) becoming more prevalent in pediatric emergency medicine, Dr. Stephanie J. Doniger said at a meeting sponsored by the American College of Emergency Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics."
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Baltimore Sun
Info Packets Don't Help People Take ER Meds (May 8, 2013)
"In a test of services geared toward making sure patients took their prescribed medications after leaving the emergency room, none made a difference, a large new study suggests."
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Also at:

Reuters.com

Reuters (UK)

Yahoo!News

NewsDaily.com

Quality Health.com

Health Imaging
Battlefield Innovations Boost Medical Care from Baghdad to Boston (May 6, 2013)
"Necessity is the mother of invention," observes David W. Ross, DO,with Front Range Emergency Specialists in Colorado Springs, Colo.,explaining that many advances in trauma management originate on thebattlefield."
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Denver Post
University of Colorado Hospital tries to make itsnew ER run more like The Gap (May 6, 2013)
"Hospitals across metro Denver and the nation are undertaking similar revamps of ERs, which serve as the public "front porch" of billion-dollar institutions. Their aim is to cut hours-long waits and cement a positive image for consumers who may return for other services as hospitals become conglomerates."
Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_23174360/university-colorado-hospital-tries-make-its-new-er-run-more

Wall Street Journal
New Measuring TAPE Estimates Weight Of Kids BetterThan Any Other Method (May 6, 2013)
"The data were presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies meeting in Washington, D.C., the largest international meeting focused on research in child health, and published online last month in the Annals of Emergency Medicine."
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Also at:

Reuters

Boston.com

MyFoxTallahassee

WMBF News

Los Angeles Times
How a 'Million-Dollar Patient' Got Off a Medical Merry-Go-Round (May 5, 2013)
"Remo and countless other chronically ill patients like her pose one of the biggest obstacles to medical professionals, hospitals and political leaders trying to rein in costs as they overhaul the healthcare system."
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Morning Sentinel
Augusta Fire Crews Push for More DefibrillaorsDuring EMS Week (May 5, 2013)
"Audette, emergency medical services director Dr. Timothy Pieh and Battaton Chief John Bennett highlighted those efforts Sunday at Hartford Fire Station as they previewed a series of events to celebrate EMS Week, starting May 18. The event is being promoted by the American College of Emergency Physicians."
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Family Practice News
Consider Developmental Issues When Treating TeenSports Injuries (May 3, 2013)
"Teenagers are more likely than adults to sustain sports injuries,Dr. Ilene Claudius said at a meeting sponsored by the American College of Emergency Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Immature bones, strong tendons, and a general tendency to brush off aches and pains all conspire to increase the risk."
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Family Practice News
Warm, Dry, and Mad - A Guide to NewbornResuscitation (May 3, 2013)
"The best way to take advantage of a struggling newborn's "Golden Minute" won't be found in any schmaltzy pregnancy book. "Dry 'em off and piss 'em off," Dr. Maureen McCollough said at a meeting sponsored by the American College of Emergency Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics."
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Kaiser Health News
Research Roundup:Owning The Cost Of Emergency Medicine: Beyond 2% (May 3, 2013)
"Emergency room care is often cited as overused and one of the drivers of the increasing health spending. However, emergency room physicians have countered that argument, estimating that ER costs make up just 2 percent of the nation's health care spending."
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KevinMD
Choosing Wisely: Less Dogmatic Language Is Needed (April 30, 2013)
"When the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) decided not to join the Choosing Wisely campaign, I was among those whoexpressed disappointment with this decision, in part because I have long been a proponent of efforts to encourage more cost-effective care in the ED. "
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MedicalExpress.com
Advancing Emergency Care For Kids: Emergency Physicians Do it Again (April 30, 2013)
"Two studies published online this month in Annals of Emergency Medicine showcase some of the work emergency physicians are doing to improve care for children in the nation's emergency departments."
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Science Codex.com
Northwestern Medicine Researchers Work to ImproveHeart Attack Response Time (April 29, 2013)
"Recognizing the potential to save even more lives with expedited treatment, Northwestern Medicine® researchers applied performance improvement strategies to lower door-to-balloon times at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, with the goal of creating an approach that could be applied to hospitals across the country.Their findings were published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine."
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Also at:

Beckers Hospital Review

Wall Street Journal Market Watch
Do You Know Your Credit Score? What About Your Blood Pressure? (April 29, 2013)
"May is National High Blood Pressure Awareness Month. The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) wants to take this opportunity to urge people to get their blood pressure checked --find out where they stand -- and get proper medical treatment if it happens to be too high."
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Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
Patients' Right-to-Know at Heart of Wiscons in Debate (April 27, 2013)
"What the Jandre decision did is fundamentally expanded - really exponentially - the list of options that you have to be given as a patient," said Guy Du Beau, an attorney who wrote an amicus brief for the Wisconsin Medical Society, the Wisconsin Hospital Association and the Wisconsin Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians."
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The Washington CityPaper
The Answers Column: How Are Segways Regulated in D.C.? (April 26, 2013)
"Though regulations on riding and registering a Segway are fairly easy, using the devices carries some risks. A 2010 study published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine found that people hurt on Segways were more likely than pedestrians hit by cars to be admitted to the hospital."
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The Atlantic
The Decline of Emergency Care (April 26,2013)
"Published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, this result andothers confirm what they've found before. When hospitals admitted more Medi-Cal patients (the California Medicaid program), or were for-profit, their emergency departments were also more likely to close."
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ScienceBlog.com
Is Helicopter Transport of Trauma Victims Cost-Effective? (April 25, 2013)
"The study, published online this month in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, does not address whether most helicopter transport actually meets the additional 1.6 percent survivorship threshold."
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CNN
In Runners’ Tent and ER, a Rush To Save Limbs and Lives (April 23, 2013)
”There was an explosion at the finish line." That was the message relayed to Dr. Horacio Hojman, the associate director of trauma and the surgical director of the intensive care unit at Tufts Medical Center.”
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Boston Globe
Injury Toll from Marathon Bombings Rises (April 22, 2013)
“Considering the number of injured and the severe nature of many of the injuries, “it really speaks well of the Boston emergency medical community that there were so few fatalities,” said Dr. Alex Rosenau, president-elect of the American College of Emergency Physicians and an osteopath who practices emergency medicine in Allentown, Pa.”
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The Lancet
Boston’s First-in-Class First Response (April 23, 2013)
“In the context of such an emergency, the city of Boston is an unparalleled setting because of its great number of top-tier medical facilities and teaching hospitals. Ten hospitals, including Brigham and Women's Hospital, Tufts Medical Center, and Massachusetts General Hospital, received and treated the injured.”
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McKesson: Medical Imaging Blog
Medical Imaging Critical to Improving Emergency Care: Q&A with Sandra Schneider (April 23, 2013)
“Is emergency department overcrowding a cause – or a symptom – of something larger?”
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Fox News
Psychiatrists Spend 1 Million Hours a Year Awaiting Insurance Approval (April 23, 2013)
“One million hours: That’s how long psychiatrists across the country spend each year, waiting to get approval from insurance companies before they’re able to hospitalize suicidal or mentally ill patients from the emergency room, according to estimates from a new study in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.”
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Also in:

Psychiatric Annals

Medical Express

Baltimore Sun

Wall Street Journal
OpEd: Emily Loving Aaronson: On the Front-Lines of Battlefield Triage in Boston (April 20, 2013)
“Within an hour of starting to see patients, I first heard word that there had been an explosion at the marathon and that EMS had called from the ambulance and were bringing a victim to the hospital. Given the way rumors circulate, and that EMS calls sometimes have to be taken with a grain of salt, none of us was completely clear about what the sketchy news meant. Had two people been killed? Or was it just two victims overall? If so, how serious were the injuries?”
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USA Today
Hospital Teams in Boston Blasts Calm in Face of Terror (April 19, 2013)
“Eric Goralnick, an emergency room doctor at Brigham and Women's Hospital and director of emergency preparedness, also coordinated medical responses. Staff members go through drills for such events and practice treating mass injuries.”
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PhillyBurbs.com
Groups Push for PA to Join Medicaid Expansion (April 19, 2013)
“A 10-year study by the Annals of Emergency Medicine found that Medicaid patients have a harder time getting an appointment at a clinic and a longer wait for the appointment than those with private insurance.”
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Becker’s Clinical Quality & Infection Control
Bombing Event Response Resources Available for Health Professionals (April 19, 2013)
“Following the Boston marathon bombings April 15, the American College of Emergency Physicians offers several resources for healthcare professionals responding to blast events.”
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Internal Medicine News
Emergency Physicians Share Lessons from Boston Marathon Bombings Response (April 19, 2013)
“No matter how much drilling you do, you will never really prepare yourself for what this is like," said Dr. Ron M. Walls, chairman of the department of emergency medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.”
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Medical News Today
Large Numbers of ER Visits Go Unreported In Calculating Hospital Readmissions (April 18, 2013)
“None of these emergency room visits that do not lead to subsequent admission are included in calculating hospital readmission rates, which are a key focus of health care cost containment and quality improvement efforts. The findings are published in Annals of Emergency Medicine.”
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HealthLeaders.com
Hospitals Crack Down on ED Repeat Users (April 18, 2013)
“Throughout the country, frequent fliers are impacting hospital EDs in varying degrees. As reported in a series of studies in 2012 for the Annals of Emergency Medicine, frequent fliers at hospital EDs sought emergency care at least four times a year and sometimes as often as 21 or more.”
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Politico
‘Medical Mecca’ Boston Was Equipped for Mass Trauma (April 18, 2013)
“If there was anything fortunate, it was the geography, because the finish line of the Boston Marathon is smack dab in the middle of five Level One trauma centers,” said Steve Epstein, an emergency physician at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and a spokesman for the American College of Emergency Physicians.”
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Wall Street Journal MarketWatch
10 Things Coke, Pepsi, and the Soda Industry Won’t Say (April 17, 2013)
“We’re seeing more and more people coming in with these issues, especially young people who are mixing their energy drinks with alcohol,” says Tom Sugarman, emergency physician and spokesman for the American College of Emergency Physicians.”
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Also at:

Natural Healing Tools News

The New Yorker
Why Boston’s Hospitals Were Ready (April 17, 2013)
“Richard Wolfe, the chief of the emergency department at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, told me he had much the same experience there. Of twenty-one casualties, seventeen were serious and seven required emergency surgery.”
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Wall Street Journal
Injuries in Boston Marathon Attack Resemble Traumas of War (April 17, 2013)
“It's very similar to an IED going off in Afghanistan or Iraq in a crowd," said Richard Wolfe, chief of emergency medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, referring to improvised explosive devices responsible for wartime casualties in those countries. "It's pretty much identical."
Read more: (paid subscription to WSJ online required)

Wall Street Journal
Emergency Planning, Speed Saved Lives After the Boston Marathon Attack (April 17, 2013)
“The reaction speed impressed even James Panter, an emergency-medicine physician who happened to be standing only yards from the explosion. Bent over profusely bleeding victims, applying waist belts as tourniquets, he looked up to see a cavalry of volunteers arriving with wheelchairs and stretchers. "It was unbelievable—inspiring," said Dr. Panter, a spectator from Georgia. "The victims were in the medical tents within three to five minutes."
Read more: (paid subscription to WSJ online required)

The Neshoba Democrat
Lawn Care Safety (April 17, 2013)
“A recent issue of the Annals of Emergency Medicine contains a report on lawn mower injuries.”
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The Irish Times
Amount of Lower-Body Injuries ‘Not Unusual’ Given Nature of Device (April 17, 2013)
“He confirmed that some of those treated at the hospital had suffered primary blast wounds. According to the American College of Emergency Physicians, such injuries are “often considered a marker for lethal injury”.
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The New York Times
Doctors Saved Lives, if Not Legs, in Boston (April 16, 2013)
“Dr. Allan Panter, an emergency-room physician from Gainesville, Ga., was standing 10 yards from the blast near the finish line, waiting for his wife, Theresa, to complete her 16th Boston Marathon. Assisted by others, he said he used gauze wraps to apply tourniquets to several victims, including a man who appeared to be in his late 20s who lost both of his lower legs in the blast. He said he saw another six or seven victims with belts tied around their wounded legs.”
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EurekAlert
Penn Study Shows a Quarter of Patients Discharged From Hospitals Return to ERs Within 30 Days (April 15, 2013)
“A study led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Boston University School of Medicine has found that nearly one quarter of patients may return to the emergency department within 30 days of being discharged from a hospitalization. None of these emergency room visits that do not lead to subsequent admission are included in calculating hospital readmission rates, which are a key focus of health care cost containment and quality improvement efforts. The findings are published in Annals of Emergency Medicine.”
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Bloomberg News/Journal Gazette
Detached ER Costs Criticized (April 14, 2013)
“At least 16 states have laws allowing free-standing ERs, with varying licensing and operational guidelines, according to the American College of Emergency Physicians, or ACEP, in Washington.”
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MedPage Today
ED Visit Data Add Information to Post-Discharge Outcomes (April 11, 2013)
“However, more than half of those visits (54.1%) did not lead to another hospital admission, the researchers reported online in Annals of Emergency Medicine.”
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Wall Street Journal MarketWatch
"Severely Compromised Life Circumstances," Not Lack of Access to Health Care, Cause Frequent ER Use by Veterans (April 11, 2013)
Even with health insurance, ready access to preventive, specialty and behavioral health care and comprehensive electronic medical records, nearly 8 percent of patients in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) visit the emergency department two or more times per year, according to a study published online Tuesday in Annals of Emergency Medicine
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Also at: HeraldOnline

Sacramento Bee

FierceHealthcare

The Reflector
PeaceHealth is reducing E.R. Visits (April 10, 2013)
“The report analyzes the results of a coordinated program of seven best practices implemented through a partnership between the Washington State Medical Association (WSMA), the Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA), the Washington Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians (WA-ACEP) and the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA). The program was developed in response to the legislature’s call for a policy solution to high emergency department use by Medicaid patients. The state campaign is titled “ER is for Emergencies.”
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Medscape Medical News
Do Opioid Guidelines Unfairly Target EDs in War on Abuse? (April 9. 2013)
“Hillary V. Kunins, MD, assistant commissioner. New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, squares off with Alex M. Rosenau, DO, president-elect of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), and vice chair, Emergency Department, Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, Allentown, Pennsylvania, in new "In the Balance" articles in the April 9 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.”
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