UPMC – As a geriatrician who has cared for patients in nursing homes across western Pennsylvania, Steven Handler, M.D., Ph.D., has seen first-hand how some are transferred unnecessarily in the middle of the night to hospital emergency rooms. That’s because nursing staff couldn’t get the right medical advice at the right time. “Transfers to the emergency room, which frequently result in admission to the hospital, are highly disruptive to older adults and sometimes harmful to their health,” said Dr. Handler. “What’s more, these avoidable hospitalizations are costing Medicare, private insurers and taxpayers billions of dollars every year.”
