Baltimore Faces ER Overcrowding

Baltimore, home of the famous ShockTrauma institute is facing it's own ER overcrowding crisis. Similiarly to Ontario, alternate levels of care (primary care) are unavailable forcing patients into the ER.

They state ER usuage is increasing. In Ontario the use decreased between 1993 and 2001 (.33 uses per person per year to 0.25) but the transition to more chronic care patients clogged up the ER's.