Summit panelists: R.I. trying to chip away at the many health care challenges

When primary care nurse practitioner and state Sen. Pamela Lauria, D-Bristol, sees patients with urgent symptoms, she finds that a potential medical emergency isn’t always the patient’s greatest concern. In hospitals throughout the state, emergency rooms are often synonymous with long waits, over-burdened staff, patients spilling into hallways, and eventually, medical bills reflecting insurance that