No ambulance diversion rule takes effect in Massachusetts

Massachusetts' no diversion rule took effect today.  This is a change long prepared for, but not likely felt immediately in area hospitals -- after all, New Year's Day is not a big day for elective surgeries and hospital discharges, and some of the key changes needed in hospitals in order to accommodate the new rule involve reworking of scheduling and workflows in these two arenas.

As it happens, I rang in the New Year with friends, including Catherine Bromberg, external communications director for the Massachusetts Hospital Association, who took some time out of her day to share MHA's member hospitals' collective experience with preparations for the new initiative with one of our local network affiliates.  Jonathan Epstein, one of the state's regional EMS directors, was also featured.  See the diversion story in text and video.  For details and links to the policy, see my earlier post on the no diversion policy and my conversation with Alasdair Conn, MD, ED chief at Mass General.

David Harlow
The Harlow Group LLC
Health Care Law and Consulting