A Chilling Cure: Facing Killer Heat, ERs Use Body Bags to Save Lives
Doctors in Washington state used human body bags filled with ice and water to rapidly cool the sickest patients affected by record heat last month.
Emergency Medicine
121 - 140 of 276 Results
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Hospital 鈥楾rauma Centers鈥 Charge Enormous Fees to Treat Minor Injuries and Send People Home
Only severely injured patients are supposed to be billed for 鈥渢rauma team alert鈥 fees that can exceed $50,000.
By Jay Hancock -
How ERs Fail Patients With Addiction: One Patient鈥檚 Tragic Death
Two intractable failings of the U.S. health care system 鈥 addiction treatment and medical costs 鈥 come to a head in the ER, where patients desperate for addiction treatment arrive, only to find the facility may not be equipped to deal with substance use or, if they are, treatment is prohibitively expensive.
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Rural Ambulance Services Are in Jeopardy as Volunteers Age and Expenses Mount
Experts say rural communities must find new models to keep emergency services afloat as more 911 calls go unanswered.
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鈥楢n Arm and a Leg鈥: Tips for Fighting Medical Bills from ProPublica鈥檚 Marshall Allen
Veteran health journalist Marshall Allen has been exposing health care grifters for years. Now he鈥檚 written a book about how to fight them. Host Dan Weissmann spoke with Allen about some of the best tips from 鈥淣ever Pay the First Bill: And Other Ways to Fight the Health Care System and Win.鈥
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A Hospital Charged $722.50 to Push Medicine Through an IV. Twice.
A college student never got an answer for what caused her intense pain, but she did get a bill that totaled $18,736 for an ER visit. She and her mom, a nurse practitioner, fought to understand all the charges.
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No Vacancy: How a Shortage of Mental Health Beds Keeps Kids Trapped Inside ERs
What's known as emergency room boarding of psychiatric patients has risen between 200% and 400% monthly in Massachusetts during the pandemic 鈥 and the problem is widespread. The CDC says emergency room visits after suicide attempts among teen girls were up 51% earlier this year as compared with 2019.
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In Alleged Health Care 鈥楳oney Grab,鈥 Nation鈥檚 Largest Hospital Chain Cashes In on Trauma Centers
HCA charges patients an 鈥渁ctivation fee鈥 of up to $50,000 for trauma teams at centers located in half its 179 hospitals 鈥 and they often don鈥檛 need trauma care, an analysis of insurance claims data shows.
By Jay Hancock -
Colorado Will Pay Hospitals to Close Expensive Free-Standing ERs
The state, concerned about the high cost of care at these stand-alone facilities, is offering hospitals more Medicaid money if they convert them to other uses, such as primary care or mental health centers.
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In Appalachia and the Mississippi Delta, Millions Face Long Drives to Stroke Care
Across Appalachia and the Mississippi Delta, where death rates from stroke are above the national average, routing patients from rural areas to the right level of care can be an intricate jigsaw puzzle. The closest hospital might not offer the full scope of stroke treatments, but hospitals with more advanced care could be hours away.
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Analysis: I Was a Teenage Rifle Owner, Then an ER Doctor. Assault Weapons Shouldn’t Count as ‘Guns.’
The United States has undergone a cultural, definitional, practical shift on guns and what they are for.
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‘Into the Covid ICU’: A New Doctor Bears Witness to the Isolation, Inequities of Pandemic
Dr. Paloma Marin-Nevarez graduated from medical school during the pandemic. We follow the rookie doctor for her first months working at a hospital in Fresno, California, as she grapples with isolation, anti-mask rallies and an overwhelming number of deaths.
By Jenny Gold -
‘It Doesn’t Feel Worth It’: Covid Is Pushing New York’s EMTs to the Brink
Struggling with low pay and high stress, New York paramedics and EMTs are reaching a breaking point.
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Is Your Covid Vaccine Venue Prepared to Handle Rare, Life-Threatening Reactions?
More than two dozen people who have received the new covid vaccines in U.S. hospitals and health centers suffered anaphylaxis, a potentially fatal allergic reaction. While such severe reactions are rare, experts warn that the drugstores and drive-thru clinics considered integral to the vaccine rollout must be prepared.
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In Los Angeles and Beyond, Oxygen Is the Latest Covid Bottleneck
The oxygen delivery infrastructure is crumbling under pressure in Los Angeles and other covid hot spots, jeopardizing patients鈥 access to precious air and limiting hospital turnover.
By Rae Ellen Bichell and Lauren Weber -
As the Terror of COVID Struck, Health Care Workers Struggled to Survive. Thousands Lost the Fight.
At least 2,900 health workers have died since the pandemic began. Many were minorities with the highest levels of patient contact.
By Christina Jewett and Robert Lewis -
Q&A
鈥楴ine Months Into It, the Adrenaline Is Gone and It鈥檚 Just Exhausting鈥
A UCSF emergency room physician reflects on California鈥檚 response to COVID-19 and on lessons learned 鈥 or not 鈥 as the coronavirus makes its second devastating surge.
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In COVID Hot Zones, Firefighters Now 鈥楶ump More Oxygen Than Water鈥
Firefighters are often thrust into front-line health emergencies. During the COVID pandemic, they鈥檝e paid an especially high price.
By Eli Cahan -
What Happened When the Only ER Doctor in a Rural Town Got COVID
Hospitals across the country are struggling as staffers get infected with the coronavirus. It's especially tough for small, rural hospitals, where even one doctor out sick can upend patient capacity.
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After Kid鈥檚 Minor Bike Accident, Major Bill Sets Legal Wheels in Motion
It was a surprise even in a family of lawyers. The process called 鈥渟ubrogation鈥 began with one Nevada family鈥檚 health insurer denying their claim for an emergency room visit after 9-year-old fell off his bike.