Canada's ER crisis is a direct result of a broken continuum of care, not just overcrowded waiting rooms. With 200,000 long-term care beds missing and ALCAlternate Level of Care patients occupying hospital beds for an average of 24 days, admitted patients get stuck in ERs — and every extra four hours of boarding raises 30-day mortality by 8.4%. Fixing ERs alone won't work; the entire system needs urgent, coordinated investment.