Situation Critical: U.S. ERs Face Shortage of Doctors

In an emergency room situation the seconds between arriving, diagnosis and treatment can determine whether a patient lives or dies. But a study released today by the Center for Studying Health System Change suggests the nation's hospitals have a severe shortage of on-call specialists. In fact, 21 percent of premature deaths and complications, which result from emergency room delays, are due to a lack of available specialists. "It's becoming apparent that the specialist on-call issue for...Full Story