Our ER Goal? 30 Minutes or Less

30-Minutes-or-LessOur ER Goal? 30 Minutes or Less

When you hear "emergency department," you likely think of long periods of time spent in a waiting room.
That's where our 30-minutes-or-less ER Service Pledge comes in.

What is the 30-minutes-or-less-ER Service Pledge?

When you enter the emergency department:

• We'll note your arrival time.
• We'll do our very best to have you seen within 30 minutes of that arrival time.

Does that mean I'll be on my way home in 30 minutes or less?

No. But we will work hard to have a clinical professional initially see you and begin evaluation and treatment within 30 minutes of your noted arrival time. Illness, injury and the volume of patients who need emergency care are unpredictable moment to moment, so your wait time and the total length of your visit will vary.

When do the 30 minutes officially start?

When the patient checks in with our staff at the emergency room desk.

How is the timeframe of my visit documented?

• When you check in, that time will be noted.
• When a clinical professional initially sees you, that time will be noted as well.

Is the 30-Minutes-or- Less ER Service Pledge in effect at all times and does it apply to all ages — infants to senior citizens?

Yes.

Do I have to wait up to 30 minutes for someone to say, "May I help you?"

Absolutely not. Emergency department staff will greet you as soon as you come in, and a nurse will assess your condition through a triage process. We know your time is valuable, and we pledge to work diligently to have a clinical professional initially see you within 30 minutes of your noted arrival.

Does the 30-Minutes-or-Less ER Service Pledge affect how patients are prioritized?

In some cases, yes. While our goal is to initially see all patients within 30 minutes of their noted arrival, the most severe cases will always receive immediate attention.

How can the emergency department maintain quality care if speed is the priority?

It's not our objective, now or ever, to "rush" patients through our emergency department, but we have focused on improving processes to get patients into a room and allow clinical professionals to begin their diagnosis and treatment as quickly as possible.

Is all of this really necessary?

Emergency wait times have been increasing all across the United States. We want to make sure you know that we are dedicated to not only offering quality care, but also demonstrating efficient care.

To view current average ER wait times, visit porterhealth.com.