When does an EMS patient become the Emergency Rooms responsibility?

Question

An EMS crew brought a patient having chest pain to the local small ER. Before removing patient from EMS stretcher the ER staff perform a basic EKG and confirm the patient is having a heart attack and will need to be transported to a cardiac center immediately. The EMS argue with ED staff about transporting the patient stating that this patient is no longer their responsibility once they enter the ER parking lot. So if a patient never gets off an EMS stretcher are they a hospital patient?

Answer 1

EMTALA agrees with them being the hospitals patient once they are in the parking lot.