Action News Investigates has learned which area hospitals have the longest and shortest wait times at the emergency room. When patients show up at a hospital emergency room, experts said it is critical that they see a doctor as soon as possible. “There are conditions when you can actually limit harm --stroke and heart attack are two good examples -- by rapid action,” said Dr. Bruce Block, of the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative. Janice Botkin, of Ambridge, said she and her daughter had to wait nearly an hour when they went to Heritage Valley Sewickley Hospital in November. Her daughter was having severe stomach pains. “I was thinking they could hurry along a little bit. She told them she was in pain and everything, and they told her to have a seat,” Botkin said. Government records show the average wait to see an ER doctor at Heritage Valley Sewickley is 34 minutes -- the longest in Western Pennsylvania. The second longest, 29 minutes, is at St. Clair Hospital, followed by 27 minutes at Mon Valley Hospital. That compares to just six minutes at UPMC Magee, seven minutes at Canonsburg Hospital and 10 minutes at Allegheny General and West Penn. Hospital officials at Heritage Valley, St. Clair and Mon Valley told Action News Investigates the numbers they report do not tell the whole story Dr. Ron Leckey, Heritage Valley's emergency medical director, said a data glitch kept them from reporting the actual length of time to see a doctor. He said the true number is 29 minutes, but even that is 38 percent higher than the national average. Leckey said there’s “not any concern at all” about patients seeing a physician as quickly as they should. “We think our patients receive excellent, timely care. He said several years ago wait times were more than 40 minutes, “so we've driven that down.” A spokesman for St. Clair Hospital also blamed a data glitch and said their actual wait time to see a doctor is 22 minutes. A Mon Valley spokesperson said the data misrepresents their patient care because they typically order tests before patients see a doctor. At UPMC, the goal is to have doctors see patients within 15 minutes of arriving at the ER. “The quicker we have the information, the quicker we can get you to the right care,” said Dr. Don Yealy, UPMC’s emergency medicine chairman. Action News Investigates also looked at how long it takes patients with broken bones to get pain medication. The longest wait was 88 minutes at Ohio Valley Hospital, followed by 81 minutes at West Penn and 72 minutes at Mon Valley Hospital. However, it takes just 28 minutes at Ellwood City Hospital and 35 minutes at ACMH Hospital in Kittanning. An official at Ohio Valley said their numbers are distorted because of the time it takes nurses to enter electronic records -- a glitch they are fixing. Ohio Valley said the actual wait for pain medicine is closer to 55 minutes. Allegheny Health Network said they've made changes to make sure West Penn patients don't have to wait so long for pain relief. “The fact that we're a little higher has caused us to make those nursing protocols so they can start pain medication treatment earlier. No one likes to see anyone in pain and suffering,” said Dr. Tom Campbell, assistant chairman of emergency medicine at AHN. For ER patients showing up with chest pain, experts said it's critical that they get an electrocardiogram as quickly as possible. “The more time the heart muscle is lacking adequate blood supply, the more damage is done,” Block said. Uniontown Hospital patients with chest pains wait 14 minutes for an EKG -- the longest in Western Pennsylvania -- followed by 12 minutes at Heritage Valley Sewickley and Highlands Hospital in Connellsville. That compares to just four minutes at UPMC Passavant, UPMC St. Margaret and ACMH. A Uniontown Hospital spokesman said, "EKG wait times published in the hospital compare data only represent a small sample of the EKGs performed in our Emergency Department." A Highlands Hospital spokesperson said they have changed EKG procedures in an effort to reduce wait times. Area hospital officials said they pay close attention to wait time stats. Some patients said they hope it makes a difference. “I mean, if you go to the emergency room, it should be 10 minutes before you get waited on,” said Bob Seman, of Sewickley.To search ER wait times for specific hospitals click here, enter the name and city of the hospital, click on the 'timely and effective care' tab and click on 'emergency department care' in the dropdown menu.
PITTSBURGH —
Action News Investigates has learned which area hospitals have the longest and shortest wait times at the emergency room.
When patients show up at a hospital emergency room, experts said it is critical that they see a doctor as soon as possible.
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“There are conditions when you can actually limit harm --stroke and heart attack are two good examples -- by rapid action,” said Dr. Bruce Block, of the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative.
Janice Botkin, of Ambridge, said she and her daughter had to wait nearly an hour when they went to Heritage Valley Sewickley Hospital in November. Her daughter was having severe stomach pains.
“I was thinking they could hurry along a little bit. She told them she was in pain and everything, and they told her to have a seat,” Botkin said.
Government records show the average wait to see an ER doctor at Heritage Valley Sewickley is 34 minutes -- the longest in Western Pennsylvania. The second longest, 29 minutes, is at St. Clair Hospital, followed by 27 minutes at Mon Valley Hospital.
That compares to just six minutes at UPMC Magee, seven minutes at Canonsburg Hospital and 10 minutes at Allegheny General and West Penn.
Hospital officials at Heritage Valley, St. Clair and Mon Valley told Action News Investigates the numbers they report do not tell the whole story
Dr. Ron Leckey, Heritage Valley's emergency medical director, said a data glitch kept them from reporting the actual length of time to see a doctor. He said the true number is 29 minutes, but even that is 38 percent higher than the national average.
Leckey said there’s “not any concern at all” about patients seeing a physician as quickly as they should.
“We think our patients receive excellent, timely care.
He said several years ago wait times were more than 40 minutes, “so we've driven that down.”
A spokesman for St. Clair Hospital also blamed a data glitch and said their actual wait time to see a doctor is 22 minutes.
A Mon Valley spokesperson said the data misrepresents their patient care because they typically order tests before patients see a doctor.
At UPMC, the goal is to have doctors see patients within 15 minutes of arriving at the ER.
“The quicker we have the information, the quicker we can get you to the right care,” said Dr. Don Yealy, UPMC’s emergency medicine chairman.
Action News Investigates also looked at how long it takes patients with broken bones to get pain medication.
The longest wait was 88 minutes at Ohio Valley Hospital, followed by 81 minutes at West Penn and 72 minutes at Mon Valley Hospital.
However, it takes just 28 minutes at Ellwood City Hospital and 35 minutes at ACMH Hospital in Kittanning.
An official at Ohio Valley said their numbers are distorted because of the time it takes nurses to enter electronic records -- a glitch they are fixing. Ohio Valley said the actual wait for pain medicine is closer to 55 minutes.
Allegheny Health Network said they've made changes to make sure West Penn patients don't have to wait so long for pain relief.
“The fact that we're a little higher has caused us to make those nursing protocols so they can start pain medication treatment earlier. No one likes to see anyone in pain and suffering,” said Dr. Tom Campbell, assistant chairman of emergency medicine at AHN.
For ER patients showing up with chest pain, experts said it's critical that they get an electrocardiogram as quickly as possible.
“The more time the heart muscle is lacking adequate blood supply, the more damage is done,” Block said.
Uniontown Hospital patients with chest pains wait 14 minutes for an EKG -- the longest in Western Pennsylvania -- followed by 12 minutes at Heritage Valley Sewickley and Highlands Hospital in Connellsville.
That compares to just four minutes at UPMC Passavant, UPMC St. Margaret and ACMH.
A Uniontown Hospital spokesman said, "EKG wait times published in the hospital compare data only represent a small sample of the EKGs performed in our Emergency Department."
A Highlands Hospital spokesperson said they have changed EKG procedures in an effort to reduce wait times.
Area hospital officials said they pay close attention to wait time stats. Some patients said they hope it makes a difference.
“I mean, if you go to the emergency room, it should be 10 minutes before you get waited on,” said Bob Seman, of Sewickley.
To search ER wait times for specific hospitals click here, enter the name and city of the hospital, click on the 'timely and effective care' tab and click on 'emergency department care' in the dropdown menu.
