Published: October 05, 2006

Sound The Sirens: Exploring The Challeges of Ambulance Diversions

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This week California Connected looks into the emergency room crisis across the state. Captain Douglas, the point person for Hollywood's fire and emergencies, details the challenging position of getting the sick and wounded immediate care in an area where open beds can often be few and far between.

He describes the code of "diversion" where if an emergency room is filled, a patient and ambulance must look for another open hospital.

With thousands of individuals uninsured, 9-1-1 has become a primary form of healthcare. Unfortunately, this non-emergency healthcare translates into high costs for the state and an emergency system that is overloaded.

With more and more hospitals either closing or frequently on "diversion," a very realistic fear is starting to spread: What happens to those injured in a large-scale disaster?

As Carol Meyer, Director of Emergency Medical Services for Los Angeles states, "I think we as the keepers of the EMS system have Band-Aided the system to the point where... the fingers that we've stuck in the dam are starting to leak."

Please Check Local Listings for show times, October 6

California Connected is an award-winning, news magazine produced through a unique collaboration of four PBS stations: KCET-Los Angeles, KPBS-San Diego, KQED-San Francisco and KVIE-Sacramento.

www.californiaconnected.org
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alan@newsblaze.com