Riverside County Survey Finds Major Delays in Transferring Patients From Ambulances to Emergency Departments
Emergency department-bound patients in Riverside County sometimes have to wait up to eight hours before paramedics can transfer them to a hospital, according to a survey by the Riverside County Emergency Medical Services Agency. Officials attributed the delays in part to an increase in ED visits related to Affordable Care Act implementation, a rise in demand for mental health services at hospitals and inefficient management of hospital beds.
- "Hospitals Keep Patients, Ambulances Waiting, Survey Finds" (Horseman, Riverside Press Enterprise, 6/10).