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Why Hospitals Need to Stop Boarding Patients in Emergency Rooms
Just after World War II, there were 1.4 million hospital beds available in the U.S. The most recent estimates show fewer than 900,000 beds, even though the nation’s population has grown by 120% over the same period. Better care delivery, technology, and changing financial incentives have driven much of this decrease, with hospitals continuing to downsize their staff and operations, making for less-flexible bed management. Also shrinking in number are emergency rooms (ERs), even while demand increases.
Source: Wall Street Journal