Indiana health officials this week announced the end of hospital diversion for emergency services.
Hospital diversions have been used for decades, sending patients to a different emergency room when hospitals are at capacity because of patient overcrowding. That practice became particularly common during the COVID pandemic.
Lindsay Weaver, Indiana’s State Health Commissioner, said diversion poses a risk to patients.
“That's an additional 15-20 minute drive to get to another hospital,” she said. “We know we have low levels of EMS availability in those rural communities, that's another 20-40 minutes that they are not available to respond to 911.”
State officials say Indiana will become the third state in the nation to end hospital diversions. According to Weaver, Massachusetts ended hospital diversion for overcrowding in 2009.
Indianapolis hospitals banned the practice two years ago.
“I really feel like we're a leader here, and it's because it was the work and the collaboration between all of the stakeholders,” Weaver said. “Other states are reaching out to us, ask us how did you get it done?”
Andy VanZee is the vice president of regulatory and hospital operations for the Indiana Hospital Association.
“Indiana’s hospitals are committed to ensuring Hoosiers have access to emergency care when and where they need it,” VanZee said. “We support the Indiana Department of Health’s decision to end routine EMS diversion based solely on hospital volume and are proud to have worked alongside our emergency care partners to reach this important milestone.”
Diversions will still take place in instances of hospital infrastructure problems - including flooding.
Weaver acknowledged that ending diversions will not end hospital overcrowding on its own.
“This isn't going to fix overcrowding,” she said. “I think more of a recognition that this is not the answer to it, and there is risk for patient harm here.”
Hospital overcrowding, long wait times, and patient boarding have all been growing concerns. The issues are exacerbated by problems of hospital staffing and a lack of patient beds.
Weaver said hospitals can try to manage overcrowding in other ways. She said as someone who works in an emergency department herself it’s something she understands hospitals need to work on.
“There are lots of different solutions,” she said. “It is figuring out and managing your staffing. It is thinking about bed availability, focusing on discharges and making sure that those beds are open and available as you see your volumes increase throughout the day.”
Contact Government Reporter Benjamin Thorp at bthorp@wfyi.org
