Hospitals crack down on repeat ED users

They come into the emergency department as if it's their second home; indeed, they often are on a first-name basis with the medical personnel who are there to greet and treat them. On this particular Sunday night in a suburban Washington, D.C., hospital, a patient is in the ED, smiling but with a bloodied face. A nurse whispers in the hallway: "Mary's alcohol level is high again." Just as the bartenders at the local taverns do, the ED nurses know Mary. She is a regular. Scenes like this one are being played out regularly across America, like well-worn reruns.

Source: HealthLeaders Media