Media Release

For Immediate Release
Date: January 14, 2004
Contact: Robert Marshall, PhD 222-1017 (623-0405)

HEALTH Implements Revised Hospital Emergency Diversions Policy 
Interim Policy Includes Daily Roll Calls and "Safety Net" Rules

Interim Rhode Island Diversion Plan
Excerpt from Trauma Protocol

Today, the Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH) implemented the revised, interim policy for the temporary diversion of emergency medical service (EMS) ambulances to other facilities.

"We want to assure that Rhode Islanders have access to quality, emergency medical services," said Patricia A. Nolan, MD, MPH, Director of Health. "The interim diversion policy accomplishes that goal and provides a statewide system allowing hospitals and their emergency departments a "safety valve" to recover from a very high demand for emergency services. We want to acknowledge the cooperation of the hospital community, emergency medical services and others who helped to make the prompt implementation of this interim policy a reality."

The revised interim policy includes the following features:

• Involves all hospitals and other major health facilitiesRequires status reports via roll calls three times per day
• Establishes criteria for "closed" or "condition red" (disaster) status
• Organizes hospitals into northern and southern service groups
• Creates a "safety net" rule that requires all hospital in a region to open emergency services if a certain number are "closed."
• Requires all hospitals to open if any hospital goes on "condition red"
• Recommends collecting additional data on available beds in each specialty unit and the number of admitted emergency or behavioral health patients awaiting placement.

On January 7, 2004, HEALTH required all hospitals with emergency departments to open to emergency patients. Monitoring data showed that half or more of the hospital emergency rooms in the state were on "diversion" status numerous times between December 30, 2002 and January 7, 2003. HEALTH met with hospital representatives on Tuesday, January 13, 2004 to discuss the situation and recommend a revised policy. HEALTH expects to prepare a final diversion policy before March 2004.

The Interim Rhode Island Diversion Plan (January 14, 2004) is available at www.HEALTH.ri.gov