If you work in an ED, you’ve probably heard of EMTALA, or the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. But how much do you really know about this law? When does it apply and when does it not? EMTALA expert, Dr. Sophie Terp, helps us understand the history of EMTALA and what we need to know to ensure we provide the best care for our ED patients. 

Do you have more questions about EMTALA? Have you ever witnessed a violation? Share your thoughts with us on social media @empulsepodcast or at ucdavisem.com

Hosts:

Dr. Sarah Medeiros, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis

Dr. Julia Magaña, Associate Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at UC Davis

Guests:

Dr. Sophie Terp, Associate Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Keck Schoo

of Medicine at the University if Southern California, and Quintiles Clinical Fellow at the Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics

Resources:

The EMTALA origin story

U.S. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Interpretive Guidelines 

Terp S, Seabury SA, Arora S, et al. Enforcement of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, 2005 to 2014. Ann Emerg Med. 2017 Feb;69(2):155-162.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2016.05.021. Epub 2016 Aug 2. PMID: 27496388; PMCID: PMC7176068..

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Thank you to the UC Davis Department of Emergency Medicine for supporting this podcast and to Orlando Magaña at OM Productions for audio production services.