CT launches country’s first public dashboard to track and fix emergency room overcrowding

Connecticut Public – Monday, January 26, 2026
By Sujata Srinivasan

Emergency departments at hospitals in Connecticut and across the country are likely bursting at the seams as a result of what’s called ED boarding.

The problem is not that too many patients are showing up at the ED. It’s that patients who have been discharged from the ED are needing longer-term care, but they’re stuck on hallway stretchers for hours or even days.

The reason? Increased demand for in-patient beds, according to Connecticut College of Emergency Physicians (CCEP). Boarding patients are not well enough to return home – they might need a bed at a psychiatric hospital, connect with a behavioral health facility in the community, or require a bed at a rehabilitation center or nursing home. They also face delays in insurance companies authorizing longer-term care.

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