Emergency Rooms Overwhelmed, Affecting Patient Care

Hospitals nationwide struggle with boarding issues and lack of available beds

Feb. 4, 2026 at 2:55am

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Emergency departments across the country are facing a crisis, with patients lining hallways for hours waiting to receive care. The problem stems from a variety of factors, including a lack of health education leading to more chronic disease cases, a shortage of hospital beds and healthcare workers, and delays in discharging patients due to insurance issues. While there is no quick fix, some hospitals are implementing strategies to improve patient flow and throughput, such as earlier discharges, creating discharge lounges, and expanding outpatient services.

Why it matters

The overflow in emergency rooms is not only detrimental to patient care, with increased risks of medical errors and mortality, but also takes a toll on the healthcare workers trying to provide that care. Addressing the systemic issues in the healthcare system as a whole is necessary to resolve the crisis in emergency departments.

The details

Patients in some states can expect to wait over 5 hours on average before seeing a doctor in the emergency room. This ED boarding issue has many causes, including a lack of health education leading to more chronic disease cases, a shortage of hospital beds due to fewer hospitals nationwide, and delays in discharging patients due to insurance authorization issues. Hospitals are trying various solutions, such as expediting discharges, creating discharge lounges, expanding outpatient services, and improving coordination between departments.

  • The problem of ED boarding has been building for years, but hit a tipping point during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • At Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, the average length of stay has decreased by 1 day through their efforts to improve patient flow.

The players

Bruce Lo, MD

Chief of emergency medicine at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and Sentara Leigh Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia.

Michael Eagan, MD

Director of emergency medicine at Hackensack Meridian Old Bridge Medical Center in Old Bridge, New Jersey.

Joanna Hiatt Kim

Vice president of payment policy at the American Hospital Association.

Andrew Nyce, MD

Vice chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Cooper University Health Care in Camden, New Jersey.

Michael Chansky, MD

Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Cooper University Health Care in Camden, New Jersey.

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What they’re saying

“We're good at taking care of anyone who walks in the door, but the work environment has become much more difficult. Frustration and burnout are increasing and that undermines patient care and safety.”

— Bruce Lo, MD

“It's a lack of all the parts working together in healthcare. The ultimate solution will lie with the healthcare system as a whole.”

— Joanna Hiatt Kim, Vice president of payment policy, American Hospital Association

“We see delays and denials of prior authorization from both Medicare and private insurance. So if a patient needs post-acute care, whether in rehab or at home, insurance delays prevent them from leaving the hospital.”

— Joanna Hiatt Kim, Vice president of payment policy, American Hospital Association

What’s next

Hospitals nationwide are continuing to implement strategies to improve patient flow and throughput in their emergency departments, including earlier discharges, creating discharge lounges, and expanding outpatient services. However, addressing the systemic issues in the broader healthcare system will be necessary to fully resolve the crisis in emergency care.

The takeaway

The crisis in emergency departments across the country highlights the need for comprehensive healthcare reform to address underlying issues like lack of health education, insurance barriers, and workforce shortages. While individual hospitals are taking steps to improve patient flow, the long-term solution requires collaboration across the entire healthcare system.