The American College of Emergency Physicians, Emergency Nurses Association and the National Alliance on Mental Illness all agree that work needs to be done to reduce overcrowding in our emergency departments. In this episode, we discuss reasons for and possible solutions to this crisis with Dr. Melanie Hallman. She has been a leader in emergency services for over four decades and championed development of the Emergency Nurse Practitioner subspecialty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, where she is an Associate Professor.

Show links:

Finding adaptive solutions: Birmingham C.A.R.E.S. treats “frequent fliers” https://www.firerescue1.com/paramedicine/articles/finding-adaptive-solutions-birmingham-cares-treats-frequent-fliers-HMs7u3pUlm1iokPR/

Cooper Green, Birmingham Fire and Rescue launch new community paramedicine program:

https://www.uab.edu/news/campus/item/13647-cooper-green-birmingham-fire-and-rescue-launch-new-community-paramedicine-program

American Academy of Emergency Nurse Practitioners:

https://www.aaenp-natl.org/

The Emergency Nurses Association:

https://www.ena.org