Has EMTALA Led to Emergency Room Overcrowding?

The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) has been debated since its conception.  The two primary camps in the debate focus on its effect on emergency departments (ED) across the nation. Some cite that EMTALA has caused the closing of 560 hospitals and 1200 EDs since its enactment in 1986. Others say that EMTALA is being used as a scapegoat. They make the point that many of the majority of the hospitals and EDs were closed in an effort cut costs and increase efficiency.
In any case neither side of the argument denies the reality of overcrowded emergency rooms--an issue the healthcare managers of tomorrow are going to have to grapple with daily.


The primary source for this post can be found at http://virtualmentor.ama-assn.org/2010/06/hlaw1-1006.html

Robots in Healthcare

This article makes clear some of the details and current uses of robots in healthcare. It seems to be that as robots become more advanced they will replace the need for additional surgical personnel. Healthcare MBAs will no doubt need to grapple with tough choices regarding the purchase of and investment in robots.


I've included an excerpt from the article below:


"In today's operating rooms, you'll find two or three surgeons, an anesthesiologist and several nurses, all needed for even the simplest of surgeries. Most surgeries require nearly a dozen people in the room. As with all automation, surgical robots will eventually eliminate the need for some personnel. Taking a glimpse into the future, surgery may require only one surgeon, an anesthesiologist and one or two nurses."


Check out the rest of the article by following this link: 
http://www.howstuffworks.com/robotic-surgery1.htm