Guy Clifton

Whether you are insured or uninsured, the serious quality problems in the American health care system affect you. There are many excellent health care providers in America, yet there are too many preventable mistakes and too few efforts to coordinate patient care. Our Emergency Departments are over-burdened and inefficient and many Americans experience unequal health care outcomes because of race, ethnicity, and income. Fundamental changes are needed in health care delivery in the United States.… more

U.S. hospitals routinely turn ambulances away in an emergency -- further proof that our health system is in need of comprehensive reforms, according to a report released today by the Health Policy Program at the New America Foundation. 

In the report entitled, "Ambulance Diversions: What They Are, Why We Care, and What To Do," Guy Clifton, MD, neurosurgeon and Physician Advisor to the New America Foundation, suggests that ambulance diversions are a result of an increased reliance on Emergency Departments (EDs) for primary care (especially… more

Every minute in the United States, an ambulance is turned away from a hospital because of a practice known as ambulance diversion. Diverting ambulances away from emergency departments (EDs) poses a serious threat to the health outcomes of both the insured and uninsured population. Ambulance diversions also indicate a struggling health system in need of comprehensive delivery system reforms.

What is an Ambulance Diversion?

An ambulance diversion occurs when a hospital ED cannot care for additional emergency patients.… more

Former Senior Research Fellow, Health Policy Program
As a former Senior Research Fellow for the Health Policy Program at the New America Foundation, Guy Clifton focused on health care reform to cover the uninsured and on reform of the delivery system to reduce cost and improve quality. In addition, Dr. Clifton acted as the Health Policy Program’s… more