Nine Texas Patients Visit ER Nearly 2700 Times

2009-04-02 18:24:45 (GMT) (WiredPRNews.com - Health & Fitness, News)

Nine people in Austin reportedly visited area ERs 2700 times in six years

Nine patients in Austin reportedly accounted for 2,700 visits to the ER in six years.

Wired PR News – Nine individuals reportedly visited emergency rooms in the Austin, Texas area 2,678 times over the course of approximately six years. As reported by the Associated Press (AP), the information was released recently in a report by the nonprofit group Integrated Care Collaboration.

Ann Kitchen, the group’s executive director, is quoted in the AP report as stating, “What we’re really trying to do is find out who’s using our emergency rooms … and find solutions.” Kitchen is further noted as pointing out the costs of emergency room visits, which on average is approximately $1,000 per visit, are often paid by hospitals and taxpayers for patients who are uninsured or classified as low-income.

Proposed solutions for combating issues equated with frequent emergency room visits for individual patients include referrals to primary care physicians or mental health care providers.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia User Knowledge Seeker