Emergency calls don't equal 24-hour care

Some state licensing boards prohibit practices from advertising that they provide 24-hour care if they only take emergency calls, says Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board member Dr. Karl Salzsieder, JD, a consultant with Salzsieder Consulting and Legal Service in Kelso, Wash. In addition, he says, some states prohibit practitioners from keeping a patient at the hospital overnight without supervision if the patient could've been sent home or referred to an emergency clinic for overnight care.