If patient safety is paramount, who would drop transfer agreements?

Regarding the article “Hospitals urge CMS to continue requiring ASC patient transfer agreements” (ModernHealthcare.com, Nov. 21), ideally, these agreements are simply procedural documentation that would never be utilized. However, those in healthcare understand the totally unanticipated nature of these events. And, when the transfer is required, it’s an emergent life-saving event.

Having an agreement in place only spells out the emergency protocols used when these situations arise. With total focus on patient safety and outcomes, I don’t understand how anyone could support elimination of these agreements. Let’s put it in perspective. If it were your loved one, would you feel safer with or without the agreement in place?

Denise Adema Fort Myers, Fla.