(The Center Square) – Crowded emergency rooms across the state are forcing ambulance crews to wait, sometimes hours, for the patient to be delivered so a bed is available.
That’s the backdrop for a bill that got a hearing Friday in the House Healthcare and Wellness Committee.
Rep Mary Fosse, D-Everett is the sponsor of HB-2466.
In a briefing to committee members, Fosse said her own experience when her newborn son was in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) made her realize how people are being harmed by short staffing levels in hospitals.
“Our family made it through but there are still issues happening surrounding staffing levels, that are making for extreme costs for taxpayers,” Fosse said.
“Prompt transport to a medical facility in a medical emergency is critical and has a direct link to patient survival,” she said. “Unfortunately, our medical transport right now, they are facing extreme delays.
“The delays our EMTs are forced to wait, the additional hours before transfer to the ER are costing our taxpayer-funded fire departments and EMS services.”