About Emergency Department/Trauma
California’s emergency departments (EDs) are filled to the brim (some 15 million people visit EDs every year) — often so packed that patients are forced to wait hours to be treated and ambulances are delayed in transferring patients to hospitals. Several things are behind this crisis:
- A lack of primary care clinicians that accept Medi-Cal
- A lack of post-hospital care sites (nursing homes, rehab facilities, mental health and addiction facilities, etc.) for patients and challenges with commercial insurance companies approving post-hospital care
- Workforce shortages
- Massive increases in the need for mental health and substance use disorder treatment
- Growing hospital financial distress, in part due to government payer shortfalls
- A dearth of alternative community care sites, like clinics or home settings
Without change, EDs — which accept all patients 24/7 year-round — will struggle to provide critical care to those experiencing trauma, injury, or acute medical conditions. Addressing this problem will take commitment and innovation from insurance companies, state policymakers, providers, and others to deliver better access to primary and specialty services, improved funding for ED care, and more.
Infographic: Emergency Departments’ Overcrowding Crisis
Ambulance Patient Offload Times
When patients arrive at hospitals via ambulance, the goal is to transfer them to hospital care as quickly as possible. But that process can be slowed by several factors: the physical layout of a hospital, current unprecedented patient volume, increased acuity of patients’ illness or injury, and more.
Assembly Bill 40 (2023) – APOT Reduction Protocol Requirements
As mandated by Assembly Bill 40 (2023), California hospitals must submit Ambulance Patient Offload Time (APOT) Reduction Protocols by September 1, 2024. This Educational Brief will provide you with some best practices from your peers. This presentation reviews key deadlines and requirements and shares Sutter Health’s approach to incorporating APOT protocols into existing procedures.
New Demands on Emergency Departments in 2024 — Participant Information
Actions taken by Governor Newsom during the 2023 legislative season will significantly impact California’s emergency departments. Many bills signed into law affect hospitals for years to come.
Hear from CHA experts as they focus on the implications of ambulance patient offload time requirements, behavioral health care laws, and discharge challenges.
The Future of California’s Emergency Medical Services System — Participant Information
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
Hellen Keller
CHA is bringing together EMS partners from multiple emergency services organizations to provide an overview of the future landscape of emergency medical services (EMS) in California. Liz Basnett, Director of the California Emergency Medical Services Authority, will provide a high-level overview of the California EMS System Strategic Plan and how it will serve as a guide for enhancing and improving emergency medical services. Additionally, hear from the Emergency Medical Services Administrators’ and Emergency Medical Services Directors’ Associations of California and the California Ambulance Association as they highlight their respective organizations’ efforts and 2024 priorities.
Treating Opioid Use Disorder in Acute Care Hospitals
Opioid abuse is a long-standing problem in California.The substance use disorder (SUD) crisis might seem insurmountable, but the CA Bridge Program has developed a model of care that saves lives and helps patients with SUDs get back on track. The 24/7 program is built upon three pillars: rapid access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT), welcoming and destigmatized care and specially trained substance use navigators (SUNs) that connect patients to ongoing care and support.