Health Care 911
The entrance to the emergency room at UCSD Medical Center-Hillcrest is backed up by patients returning to the ER for multiple visits in the same day or week. A man suffering from schizoaffective disorder ran out of his medications, a woman crashed her rental car after being released and seeking narcotics, and an intoxicated man asking for pain killers and food. Physicians and staff battle burnout when dealing with "frequent flyers" and balancing the needs of life threatening emergencies. "You have to take it seriously" says Dr. James Dunford. "No one wants to be held accountable for a wrongful death".
