Freestanding emergency rooms have popped up across the country, but according to a recent NPR story, they have advantages as well as drawbacks.
Freestanding ERs are seen as competition to urgent care centers, which are available as convenient options for non-life threatening emergencies like influenza or a sprained ankle.
Thinking of staffing into freestanding ERs? Share your thoughts here.
There is a huge difference between the two, however. Freestanding ERs typically offer the full range of services found at traditional hospitals. Some accept ambulance traffic, something not available at most urgent care centers.
However, this ABC News article notes that:
“Ambulances generally won’t bring the most critically ill to the stand-alone centers, including trauma patients and those having strokes or heart attacks. In Miami, ambulances won’t bring patients to stand-alone ERs at all.”
A few of the qualities these emergency centers boast include:
— Low waiting times
— Cutting-edge equipment
— Staff is equipped to handle almost any patient need.
— Increased access for communities without a nearby hospital
— Carries potential to alleviate overcrowding in traditional ERs
Negative aspects include:
— High cost for patients and insurance companies
— Typically not available in low-income communities
— Some don’t accept Medicare or Medicaid
— Care could be compromised if full services are not offered.
Freestanding ERs are identified as a trend “taking hold in health care building” in this Nashville Business Journal blog. The author, E.J. Boyer, also notes, “the increased interest from clients in freestanding emergency departments repeated itself like a broken record.”
Insurance companies are dissatisfied, however, claiming that the high costs will ultimately drive up the prices for consumers.
According to the NPR story, the main reason for the sticker shock is what is known as a facility fee, or a charge “for all the overhead, including expensive equipment like the CAT scanner and the lab.”
Does your agency staff into freestanding ERs? Are you thinking of exploring this emerging market? Have you already begun? If so, please share your thoughts about this trending topic in the healthcare industry.
