Opinion: Ailing ERs threaten patients, leave communities vulnerable

USA Today, May 30, 2008

Rising healthcare costs have forced hundreds of hospitals out of business, mostly in poorer areas. Those that remain are racing to trim costs, and there's little incentive to focus on ERs, which are not money-makers. So the sickest patients are endangered, and communities are left unprepared for disasters, whether a bus crash, a hurricane or a terror attack.