Survey: Average ER time door-to-door just over four hours

I think 4 hours door to door time is fantastic! I average 2 hours for a regular MD office visit! There are many nights our ER wait time is more than 4 hours, just to get to a room, then by the time the doc sees them, you get labs, x-rays, CT's and now MRI's seem to be the norm, it can take 10+ hours to get a disposition. And we are one of the GOOD hospitals.

People think just because the word "Emergency" appears in the name of the department, that we consider all comers to be emergencies. Many, in fact most, are non urgent and go to the back of the line when the real emergencies come in.

It is not just our town, but there needs to be a major education campaign to educate the citizens about what constitues an emergency or not. Many of the complaints we see should go to urgent care or the health department, but it is too easy to come to the ER because we are open 24/7, and no payment is required up front (if ever for many).