Hospitals ease ER crowding with ward beds in halls

Hospital officials nationwide are being urged to consider treating patients in hallways as a way to ease emergency department crowding, and some are trying it. Leading the way is Stony Brook (NY) University Medical Center, where a study found that no harm was caused by moving emergency room patients to upper-floor hallways when they were ready for admission. The study's lead author says all hospitals should look at the program's success.