Brendano

Ambulance Diversion May 6, 2009

Joseph Gardner was a 27 year old from Massachusetts (Barlett and Steele 46). On April 19^th 2001 he came home from work feeling ill. He had difficulty breathing and dialed 911 at 5:10 p.m. The nearest hospital was Lawrence General Hospital. The ambulance started driving in that direction. The EMT’s called the emergency room and found out the hospital didn’t have enough beds and was on divert status. The next hospital was a mile away. The ambulance had to drive through rush hour traffic and made the second E.R. at 5:30 p.m. Unfortunately, Joseph Gardner condition deteriorated on the way. At 6:08, he was pronounce dead. He would of survive if he made it to the first hospital. However, the ambulance diversion added an extra 10 minutes that took his life.

Ambulance Diversion occurs when a hospital emergency department (ED) cannot care for additional emergency patients and sends the ambulance elsewhere. Ambulance diversion poses a threat for both the insured and the 47 million uninsured. Ambulance diversion occurs with an understaffed hospital system and overcrowding in the ED.

According to Barlett and Steele (46) Ambulance diversion was investigated by the U.S. House Government Reform Committee. They found that as many as six Boston Hospitals have diverted ambulance at the same time. Two more deaths occurred from these diversions.

According to the New America Foundation every minute in the U.S., an ambulance in turned away. Ambulance diversion is a symptom of a broken the U.S. health care system. A broken health care system that could be cured by universal health care.