ENA Statement on Department of Justice dismissal of EMTALA-related Lawsuit
On Friday, ENA released the following statement regarding the Department of Justice’s actions to dismiss EMTALA lawsuit
“This week’s announcement by the Department of Justice to no longer pursue its case in the state of Idaho carries with it the potential for deep-reaching implications to the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. For four decades, EMTALA has ensured every emergency department patient received the care they need regardless of their individual circumstances or where they seek emergency health care.
As ENA continues to monitor ongoing developments in Idaho and other states where similar EMTALA-related legal challenges are ongoing, the association has genuine concern for the equitable delivery of care to all patients, as well as for the ability of emergency nurses and the entire emergency care team to deliver necessary life-saving treatments should EMTALA’s federal mandate be compromised by a patchwork of state regulations.
ENA firmly believes all people are entitled to equitable access to affordable, comprehensive, quality health care without exception, and sees any chipping away of EMTALA’s long-standing authority as hurting, not helping, emergency care in the United States.”
- ENA President Ryan Oglesby
The Emergency Nurses Association is the premier professional nursing association dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing through advocacy, education, research, innovation, and leadership. Founded in 1970, ENA has proven to be an indispensable resource to the global emergency nursing community. With 50,000 members worldwide, ENA advocates for patient safety, develops industry-leading practice standards and guidelines and guides emergency health care public policy. ENA members have expertise in triage, patient care, disaster preparedness, and all aspects of emergency care. Additional information is available at www.ena.org.