Tennessee ERs Need More Resources

December 10, 2008, WASHINGTON, D.C. – According to a report released today, our nation’s hospital emergency rooms are failing – they are overcrowded, underfunded, and understaffed, which has resulted in longer waiting times for even the sickest of people.  The report graded each state’s emergency room care and Tennessee received a “C-”.

“Tennessee’s emergency care system is struggling not because of the administrators, doctors, and nurses, all of whom are working extremely hard, but because the ER departments do not have the necessary resources to handle the increased influx of patients,” said Congressman Bart Gordon, who is the author of bipartisan legislation aimed at increasing funding for emergency room care.

The American College of Emergency Physicians released their 2008 national and state-by-state report cards today.  Nationwide, the average grade was a “C-”, which was based on scores in five categories – access to emergency care, quality and patient safety environment, medical liability environment, public health and injury prevention, and disaster preparedness.
 
“It is a matter of life or death,” Gordon added, “to ensure that our emergency rooms have the resources to provide necessary care in a timely manner.”
 
In 2007, Congressman Gordon and Congressman Pete Sessions (TX-R) authored the Emergency Medical Services Act.  The legislation would provide additional funding for emergency departments and create a commission to examine factors that impede delivery of emergency medical services.

“In January, I will reintroduce the Emergency Medical Services Act and work to ensure that it is signed into law,” said Gordon.

Gordon is a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over health issues, including emergency room care.