Create Standardized Emergency Department Triage Protocols for Pancreatitis Patients
The Issue
I am one patient, but this petition speaks for thousands of people living with acute and chronic pancreatitis.
I never planned on becoming an advocate. That changed after multiple hospitalizations led me to an online community of people living with the same disease. What I discovered was both comforting and heartbreaking. Comforting because I wasn’t alone. Heartbreaking because no matter where we lived, we were all telling the same story.
We talk about the constant fear of the next attack. We talk about delaying going to the emergency department because we already know what often happens: hours of waiting while dehydrated, vomiting, and in severe pain before the evaluation process even begins.
Many of us have years of documented medical records — repeated hospitalizations, CT scans, MRIs, pseudocysts, pancreatic necrosis, specialist care, and previous admissions for the same disease. Yet every emergency department visit can feel like starting from zero, as if that history isn’t recognized quickly enough to guide timely evaluation.
This petition is not about demanding a specific medication or special treatment. It is about improving awareness and establishing standardized triage protocols so clinicians can more quickly recognize patients with a documented history of pancreatitis, review their documented medical history, and begin appropriate evaluation without unnecessary delays.
More than 275,000 people are hospitalized with pancreatitis each year in the United States alone. Behind every one of those admissions is a person, a family, and a story. Many of us have said the same words:
“I wouldn’t wish this pain on my worst enemy.”
We believe emergency departments can improve recognition, triage, and timely evaluation for patients with acute and chronic pancreatitis through standardized protocols, education, and collaboration between healthcare professionals, patient advocates, and organizations focused on pancreatic disease.
Our goal is simple:
No patient with documented acute or chronic pancreatitis should have to endure avoidable delays before evaluation and appropriate care begin.
Please sign this petition and help us improve emergency department recognition, triage, and timely evaluation for every person living with acute and chronic pancreatitis.
20
The Issue
I am one patient, but this petition speaks for thousands of people living with acute and chronic pancreatitis.
I never planned on becoming an advocate. That changed after multiple hospitalizations led me to an online community of people living with the same disease. What I discovered was both comforting and heartbreaking. Comforting because I wasn’t alone. Heartbreaking because no matter where we lived, we were all telling the same story.
We talk about the constant fear of the next attack. We talk about delaying going to the emergency department because we already know what often happens: hours of waiting while dehydrated, vomiting, and in severe pain before the evaluation process even begins.
Many of us have years of documented medical records — repeated hospitalizations, CT scans, MRIs, pseudocysts, pancreatic necrosis, specialist care, and previous admissions for the same disease. Yet every emergency department visit can feel like starting from zero, as if that history isn’t recognized quickly enough to guide timely evaluation.
This petition is not about demanding a specific medication or special treatment. It is about improving awareness and establishing standardized triage protocols so clinicians can more quickly recognize patients with a documented history of pancreatitis, review their documented medical history, and begin appropriate evaluation without unnecessary delays.
More than 275,000 people are hospitalized with pancreatitis each year in the United States alone. Behind every one of those admissions is a person, a family, and a story. Many of us have said the same words:
“I wouldn’t wish this pain on my worst enemy.”
We believe emergency departments can improve recognition, triage, and timely evaluation for patients with acute and chronic pancreatitis through standardized protocols, education, and collaboration between healthcare professionals, patient advocates, and organizations focused on pancreatic disease.
Our goal is simple:
No patient with documented acute or chronic pancreatitis should have to endure avoidable delays before evaluation and appropriate care begin.
Please sign this petition and help us improve emergency department recognition, triage, and timely evaluation for every person living with acute and chronic pancreatitis.
Petition Updates
Share this petition
Petition created on August 2, 2026