Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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It is unknown how changes in the percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) "built environment" have impacted PCI volumes at the community, hospital, and patient levels. This study sought to determine how PCI hospital openings and closures effect community- and hospital-level PCI volumes as well as the likelihood of receiving PCI at a low-volume hospital. ⋯ PCI service expansion is associated with increased PCI at low-volume hospitals and a greater number of elective procedures. Increased governmental oversight may be necessary to ensure that openings and closures of these specialized services yield the desired benefits.