 Prior to the 1960s and 1970s, hospital emergency departments (EDs) were generally staffed by physicians on staff at the hospital on a rotating basis, among them family physicians, general surgeons, internists, and a variety of other specialists.In many smaller emergency departments, nurses would triage patients and physicians would be called in based on the type of injury or illness.Family physicians were often on call for the emergency department, and recognized the need for dedicated emergency department coverage.