As you have witnessed first-hand and heard from your emergency physician colleagues around the country, hospital emergency department (ED) boarding has become a national public health crisis. "Boarding" is a scenario that occurs when patients are held in the ED following stabilization and care awaiting an inpatient bed or space in a tertiary facility where they can be safely transferred.

The underlying issues are complex and multifactorial – while there is no one-size-fits-all solution to ED boarding, there are targeted approaches that we have developed and are pursuing to alleviate the strain on the emergency care team.

Right now, you can urge your U.S. Senators and Representative to cosponsor the bipartisan, ACEP-developed “Addressing Boarding and Crowding in the Emergency Department Act," or ABC-ED Act, (S.1974/H.R. 2936) to help alleviate the ED boarding crisis and support efforts to build a more resilient, transparent, and coordinated emergency care system. The legislation, introduced by Rep. John Joyce, MD (R-PA) and Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) in the House and Sens. Chris Coons (D-DE), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Angus King (I-ME), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) in the Senate will:

-Modernize Infrastructure: expand development and implementation of real-time statewide and regional bed tracking systems to address boarding using existing federal grants.

-Create Innovative Care Models: Authorize the CMS Innovation Center to pilot improved care transitions for older adults with emergency care needs and patients with acute psychiatric needs.

-Improve Accountability: Direct a federal study to determine best practices in hospital bed tracking and capacity management systems and their impact on boarding and emergency delays.

On April 29, hundreds of your colleagues were on Capitol Hill during ACEP’s Leadership and Advocacy Conference to advocate for emergency medicine and patients. The ABC-ED Act was at the top of the list and now we need your help in reinforcing and amplifying their message.

Your voice and your stories are critical in bringing Congress’ attention to the crisis of boarding and making it a priority to find solutions for patients – their constituents.

You can read more about the boarding issue and this legislation here: www.emergencyphysicians.org/issues.

Please urge your Members of Congress to co-sponsor S.1974/H.R.2936 to make addressing the boarding crisis a priority with Congress!