And the IOM wants to halt ER diversions

Idiots. This recent study shows that ER borders makes everyone else wait:

Each patient “boarding” in the emergency department until a bed opens in the appropriate ward adds about 30 minutes to the average time spent in the ER by other patients, according to a report presented Sunday to the American College of Emergency Physicians.

That means an extra 2 1/2 hours if five patients are boarding; nearly 6 3/4 if there are 15 boarders, said Dr. Ted Chan of the University of California at San Diego.