"No Diversion" policy

[Fiesta Red]

Our local EMS governing agency has decided that hospitals within their jurisdiction will not be allowed to go on diversion. This starts in about a month. Anyone else work in a ER that cannot go on diversion?

Any interesting note is that we are so busy, diversion at least once is a day is a normal occurrence.

Thanks!

-Mark

[Victoriakem]

When my ED goes on diversion, we get ambos from other counties, which makes no sense. I would rather have our local EMS come here, even if we are on yellow, than have surprise visits from other locales. And patients & their families would rather not have to drive to a different hospital where they don't know the Docs.

[sjt9721, BSN, RN]

Our local EMS governing agency has decided that hospitals within their jurisdiction will not be allowed to go on diversion.

Like another post mentioned, diversion status is typically internally driven. EMS agencies do not have the power to "allow" or "disallow" local hospitals to declare divert status. Perhaps this agency's decision is to not honor diversion status at local hospitals? (Meaning that the hospital can say "we're on divert", but too bad, the patient is coming anyway!)

Perhaps this decision has been made because multiple hospitals are going on divert. Imagine being the EMS crew: you've picked up a patient, followed your protocols, and every hospital in the area says "sorry, can't take 'em". Can we really expect an ambulance to drive past hospital after hospital trying to find one that's not on divert? What happens when your loved one needs that ambulance? You'll have to wait for another one because that one is so far out of its service area.

Here's another side of the coin: My hospital is going on divert, not because of unsafe staffing/crowding, but because the CT scanner just died. EMS picks up a probable stroke (or head trauma) and wants to come to my place. What happens if they ignore our diversion status? The patient's care is delayed and recovery jeopardized because the EMS agency wants to call the shots.

I've been that ED supervisor asking for divert, making calls to admin in the middle of the night: "The ED is overflowing, the ICU's are full, and we're holding multiple admits down here..." But like someone else said, diversion status does nothing to prevent more walk-ins, EMS emergencies, etc.

I have no answers, just like to bring up other points for discussion. Thanks for reading!

[suzanne4, RN]

In the Bay Area, we can only go on divert for up to three hours at a time, no matter if there are no critical care beds, and the ER is full. Automatically taken off when the three hours are up. And very specific requirements to be able to go on divert.

[rigmedic]

In the Bay Area, we can only go on divert for up to three years at a time, no matter if there are no critical care beds, and the ER is full. Automatically taken off when the three hours are up. And very specific requirements to be able to go on divert.

I think I just figured where I would like to work!!:trout:

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Suzanne meant 3 hours...