A new report by a task force of the American College of Emergency Physicians offers hospitals low-cost ways to avoid holding patients in the emergency department after they’ve been admitted to the hospital, a problem that can result from shortages of staff and beds on other floors. Among other solutions, the report recommends EDs move admitted patients to inpatient areas such as hallways and conference rooms, discharge patients before noon to make more beds available, and schedule elective procedures more evenly throughout the week. “Some hospitals have found ways to improve patient flow by making changes in routine administrative procedures and by freeing up additional resources in the emergency department,” said ACEP President Linda Lawrence, M.D. “This report describes those success stories.” The report was developed in cooperation with AHA.