EMS A to Z: EMTALA and Diversion

Show Notes:

From your hosts, Dr. Josh Gaither, Dr. Amber Rice, and Dr. Rachel Munn

 

What is EMTALA?

• The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act


• It states that hospitals with an emergency department must provide at minimum a medical screening exam to any patient who presents for care and cannot refuse care to any patient, regardless of insurance status


• Once present on hospital grounds, the hospital must treat & stabilize any presenting patient

What is Diversion?

• Hospitals / emergency departments may state that they do not have the capacity to provide medical care to additional patients, for a variety of reasons:
  
  • Internal disaster
  
  
  • External disaster
  
  
  
  


• This is system dependent


• The Southern Arizona / Tucson area is a no-divert system (barring internal disasters)