Hospital emergency departments in Mississippi

This paper is a descriptive study of hospital emergency departments in Mississippi. Hospital emergency departments are analyzed according to the number of patient visits per day and the services available. The data indicate that rapid access of a trauma patient to a high volume, broad service emergency department is difficult in much of the state. The authors encourage the state to utilize recommendations of the American College of Surgeons to develop a statewide emergency medical system. They maintain that such a system would better match existing resources with the needs of emergency patients.