Diversion Moves to Non-Urban America

From the Morning News

The practice of asking ambulance drivers to take patients elsewhere when a hospital's emergency room cannot take the patient, or when a hospital cannot provide a service the patient will need at the time they need it is called diversion.

The growth train in Northwest Arkansas is clickety-clacking at the heels of area emergency rooms, and the typically urban phenomenon of ambulance diversion is increasing locally.

Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville in the first six months of 2005 spent more time on diversion than it did in all 12 months of 2004, according to information provided by the medical system. Diversion has also increased at other area hospitals.