Comments on: Austin to deliberately dump mental health patients on ED’s: your waits to increase http://gruntdoc.com/2007/11/austin-to-deliberately-dump-mental-health-patients-on-eds-your-waits-to-increase.html Ramblings of an Emergency Physician in Texas Sat, 12 May 2012 12:36:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Jared http://gruntdoc.com/2007/11/austin-to-deliberately-dump-mental-health-patients-on-eds-your-waits-to-increase.html/comment-page-1#comment-8200 Jared Sun, 04 Nov 2007 01:39:26 +0000 http://gruntdoc.com/2007/11/austin-to-deliberately-dump-mental-health-patients-on-eds-your-waits-to-increase.html#comment-8200 Wow! I'll mark Austin down as one more place not to practice when I get out of med school. SSG J Wow! I’ll mark Austin down as one more place not to practice when I get out of med school.

SSG J

]]> By: Michael Rack http://gruntdoc.com/2007/11/austin-to-deliberately-dump-mental-health-patients-on-eds-your-waits-to-increase.html/comment-page-1#comment-8167 Michael Rack Fri, 02 Nov 2007 16:55:14 +0000 http://gruntdoc.com/2007/11/austin-to-deliberately-dump-mental-health-patients-on-eds-your-waits-to-increase.html#comment-8167 In some states committed patients and patients on 72 hour holds are housed in jails until a psych bed opens up. Housing a patient in the ER, while incovenient for the ER staff, is better than housing psychiatric patients in jails. In some states committed patients and patients on 72 hour holds are housed in jails until a psych bed opens up. Housing a patient in the ER, while incovenient for the ER staff, is better than housing psychiatric patients in jails.

]]> By: ERnursey http://gruntdoc.com/2007/11/austin-to-deliberately-dump-mental-health-patients-on-eds-your-waits-to-increase.html/comment-page-1#comment-8150 ERnursey Fri, 02 Nov 2007 03:11:33 +0000 http://gruntdoc.com/2007/11/austin-to-deliberately-dump-mental-health-patients-on-eds-your-waits-to-increase.html#comment-8150 Welcome to my world, my county decided to save money by closing the psych hospital. Now where do those patients go? To the local ER while we try, often fruitlessly, to find placement at another facility in the state. We have had more than one patient discharged after their 72 hour hold expired. some of them are a danger to us and the other patients. Welcome to my world, my county decided to save money by closing the psych hospital. Now where do those patients go? To the local ER while we try, often fruitlessly, to find placement at another facility in the state. We have had more than one patient discharged after their 72 hour hold expired. some of them are a danger to us and the other patients.

]]> By: TheNewGuy http://gruntdoc.com/2007/11/austin-to-deliberately-dump-mental-health-patients-on-eds-your-waits-to-increase.html/comment-page-1#comment-8147 TheNewGuy Fri, 02 Nov 2007 02:07:15 +0000 http://gruntdoc.com/2007/11/austin-to-deliberately-dump-mental-health-patients-on-eds-your-waits-to-increase.html#comment-8147 As the health care system groans under the load, the grease trap will always be the ER. I don't like it any more than any other doc... but I have the distinct feeling that nothing will happen until the whole mess grinds literally to a halt, and some congressman's niece or nephew dies in a hall bed. Call me fatalistic, but it's going to get far worse before it gets better. The death of a thousand cuts. As the health care system groans under the load, the grease trap will always be the ER.

I don’t like it any more than any other doc… but I have the distinct feeling that nothing will happen until the whole mess grinds literally to a halt, and some congressman’s niece or nephew dies in a hall bed.

Call me fatalistic, but it’s going to get far worse before it gets better. The death of a thousand cuts.

]]> By: Hallwayfour http://gruntdoc.com/2007/11/austin-to-deliberately-dump-mental-health-patients-on-eds-your-waits-to-increase.html/comment-page-1#comment-8144 Hallwayfour Fri, 02 Nov 2007 01:16:41 +0000 http://gruntdoc.com/2007/11/austin-to-deliberately-dump-mental-health-patients-on-eds-your-waits-to-increase.html#comment-8144 This is a huge problem in Austin already - it's hard to imagine that it's going to get worse. I do know that recently ASH (Austin State Hospital) has started saying that they're full (when in fact, they aren't) just so patients will get sent to the ER for "medical clearance", where they'll sit for 12-24+ hours before finally getting shipped to ASH. Some patients already spend days in our ER waiting for a psych bed. It's absolutely absurd! This is a huge problem in Austin already – it’s hard to imagine that it’s going to get worse. I do know that recently ASH (Austin State Hospital) has started saying that they’re full (when in fact, they aren’t) just so patients will get sent to the ER for “medical clearance”, where they’ll sit for 12-24+ hours before finally getting shipped to ASH. Some patients already spend days in our ER waiting for a psych bed. It’s absolutely absurd!

]]> By: Greg P http://gruntdoc.com/2007/11/austin-to-deliberately-dump-mental-health-patients-on-eds-your-waits-to-increase.html/comment-page-1#comment-8141 Greg P Fri, 02 Nov 2007 00:32:19 +0000 http://gruntdoc.com/2007/11/austin-to-deliberately-dump-mental-health-patients-on-eds-your-waits-to-increase.html#comment-8141 I don't know how it is in Texas, but if we held people in EDs until a facility could be found, they would be living in EDs indefinitely. I don’t know how it is in Texas, but if we held people in EDs until a facility could be found, they would be living in EDs indefinitely.

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