Emergency care is the only health care that is guaranteed to anyone in the U.S. regardless of ability to pay. We aim to build on this guarantee by bridging emergency care and community health to create an integrated system that improves health and equity. Using a social emergency medicine approach, we are supporting emergency providers and their community partners with funding, tools, and training to help them better serve people who have been traditionally excluded from the healthcare system.
Failure to provide healthcare to everyone perpetuates poverty, discrimination, and health inequities. For the millions of uninsured Americans who do not have a regular source of health care, hospital Emergency Departments play a critical role in increasing access. Federal law requires hospitals that participate in Medicare to provide emergency medical treatment to anyone who comes to the Emergency Department, regardless of their ability to pay. As a result, Emergency Departments are the only universal safety net in the health care system.
Our ambitious goal requires galvanizing providers, patients, and communities to join a movement to leverage emergency care and promote more effective, just, and humane responses to people who have been excluded from the health care system.
Our model focuses on evidence-based treatment and practices. We prioritize equitable, high-quality patient care over business or professional interests.
While our work is grounded in science, we are not afraid to question conventional practice. We are always seeking innovative ways to improve emergency medicine.
Our focus is on making evidence-based practices work in real-world settings. We are practical and flexible. We consider how financing, legal issues, staffing, and other non-clinical factors impact care.
We advocate for what we believe is in the best interest of patients, even if it means expressing views that are unpopular or contrary to established practice.
Medical practice is always evolving. We know that what we do today will have unintended consequences. We are committed to studying our mistakes and using them to improve our model.