I’m not suggesting that people be turned out on the street like they do at the orthopedist’s office. I’m suggesting that there are other (and often better) alternatives that can solve the problems at hand.

This brings us to the second problem, which is getting entrenched hospital bureaucrats and doctors to help implement solutions that are a winner for both the patient and the emergency department.

Nowhere will you find more resistance to change than when you are doing a difficult, uncompensated, or unpleasant task—and well—that nobody else wants to do.

Never mind that elective detox patients can be screened at 8 a.m. in the detox unit rather than 10 p.m. in an overcrowded ED. Never mind that stable patients should be directly admitted to the floor rather than making them wait in a crowded ED and receive an unnecessary bill. You have plenty of time, space, money, and staff to do these “favors.”

If we are to give the best care to the patients with true emergencies, we need to stop trying to be all things to all people. We need to return to the foundation of our work.

Let’s stop watering the grass and concentrate on putting out the fire.

Dr. Baehren lives in Ottawa Hills, Ohio. He practices emergency medicine and is an assistant professor at the University of Toledo Medical Center. Your feedback is welcomed at David.Baehren@utoledo.edu.