<p>Access to health care is a major concern of consumers, healthcare providers and policymakers. Healthcare access is defined as having a usual source of health care or a regular source or site of care that serves as a point of entry into the healthcare system (Litaker et al 2005). Having a usual source of care provides the individual with prevention measures and continuing management for chronic conditions. The usual source of health care for a portion of the population in the United States is the emergency department (ED) of a hospital (Burt and McCaig 2001). The 2003 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) reported an estimated 114 million visits to hospital emergency departments that year, with only 15 per cent of these visits considered emergencies (McCaig and Burt 2005). This is despite the fact that the ED is intended to provide care for people who have been in accidents, experienced traumatic injuries or are suffering with severe or potentially life-threatening symptoms.</p>