Analysis of Emergency Department Length of Stay for Mental Health Patients at Ten Massachusetts Emergency Departments.

Study Objective: Prolonged boarding times in the emergency department (ED) disproportionately affect mental health patients, resulting in patient and provider dissatisfaction and increased patient morbidity and mortality. Our objective is to quantify the burden of mental health boarding and to elucidate the effect of insurance together with demographic, social, and comorbid factors on length of stay.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional observational study of 871 consecutive patients requiring an ED mental health evaluation at one of 10 unaffiliated Massachusetts hospitals.

Molecular epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus in post-earthquake northern Haiti.

Background: Knowledge of nasal carriage is important in predicting staphylococcal infection, and no information exists regarding the endemicity of Staphylococcus aureus in Haiti.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of S. aureus nasal screening in an acute care, a subacute rehabilitation, and a community setting, with a brief medical and epidemiological history.

Hypertension prevalence and knowledge assessment in rural Haiti.

Objective: Hypertension is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease throughout the world. Little is known about the prevalence of hypertension in rural Haiti. Our study aims to estimate prevalence and knowledge of hypertension in Northern Haiti.

The effect of an ambulance diversion ban on emergency department length of stay and ambulance turnaround time.

Study Objective: Massachusetts became the first state in the nation to ban ambulance diversion in 2009. It was feared that the diversion ban would lead to increased emergency department (ED) crowding and ambulance turnaround time. We seek to characterize the effect of a statewide ambulance diversion ban on ED length of stay and ambulance turnaround time at Boston-area EDs.

Trial to end ambulance diversion in Boston: report from the conference of the Boston teaching hospitals consortium.

Introduction: Annual ambulance diversion hours in Boston increased more than six-fold from 1997 to 2006. Although interventions and best practices were implemented, there was no reduction in the number of diversion hours.

Objectives: A consortium of Boston teaching hospitals instituted a two-week moratorium on citywide diversion from 02 October 2006 to 15 October 2006.

Implications of the mechanical (PCI) vs thrombolytic controversy for ST segment elevation myocardial infarction on the organization of emergency medical services: the Boston EMS experience.

With the many advances in rapid reperfusion therapy for management of acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), there is a need to revisit the current plan for prehospital triage (point of entry). Until recently in Boston, and nationwide, there has been a policy that patients with suspected acute MI were brought to the nearest hospital. Then, if ST segment elevation was present, patients were treated with either thrombolytic therapy or primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).