“Disposition is king” was a common phrase from EM residency faculty .That directive is now waylaid at many training programs by boarding patients and prolonged care of the critically ill. With a change in mindset and practice, we can offer more to our patients than “just a place to wait for an ICU bed”. We will share a few tricks that EVERY emergency physician can leverage to maximize the care their care for boarding ICU patients: ED extubation, early administration of basal insulin in DKA, and choosing the right sedation package to minimize ICU length of stay. A focus on progressing the patient away from an “ICU level of care” will make the time spent boarding productive and potentially avoid an ICU admission altogether.