Massachusetts uses urgent care centers to tackle ‘severe’ hospital ED volumes
Becker's Healthcare July 3, 2024
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has launched an initiative that redirects patients not needing emergency-level care to urgent care providers to address “severe capacity challenges” at hospital emergency departments in the eastern part of the state.
The initiative comes in response to the typically high ED volume in the summer and the increased ED volumes that eastern Massachusetts hospitals have been experiencing in recent months.
The ongoing fallout from Steward Health Care, which operates nine hospitals in the state, was also a factor behind the decision, according to The Boston Globe. Dallas-based Steward filed for bankruptcy in May and has been unable to maintain specialized care at its hospitals, stressing nearby facilities operated by other providers.
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