ER Wait Times At Your Fingertips

Palm Harbor, Florida (March 31, 2009) - The 15 HCA hospitals in West and Central Florida now post hospital emergency room (ER) wait times to see a qualified medical provider on their websites and via text messaging, according to Daniel Miller, President of HCA West Florida Division. Times are available around the clock at www.HCAdocs.org or text ER to 23000. The ED wait time for each hospital is updated approximately every 30 minutes, using an average from the previous four hours. In most cases, HCA West Florida hospitals consistently rank below the national wait time average of one hour. Text message responses will include wait times for the nearest HCA ERs, based on the zip code provided in the text message.

Hospitals participating in the project include: Blake Medical Center, Brandon Regional Hospital, Central Florida Regional Hospital, Community Hospital (New Port Richey), Doctors Hospital of Sarasota, Edward White Hospital, Englewood Community Hospital, Fawcett Memorial Hospital, Largo Medical Center and its Sun Coast Hospital campus, Northside Hospital, Oak Hill Hospital, Osceola Regional Medical Center, Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point, St. Petersburg General Hospital and South Bay Hospital.

“Local HCA hospitals have focused on improving their ER programs by working tirelessly to earn accreditations and reducing the time patients spend waiting to see a qualified medical provider,” explained Miller. “We have been very successful, with 13 of our 15 facilities earning Joint Commission Stroke Accreditation, 14 facilities including all of our Cardiovascular Centers earning Chest Pain Accreditation by the Society of Chest Pain Centers and significant reductions in wait times to well below national averages in many cases.”

ER wait time web postings grew out of efforts to communicate internally on wait time status and best practices. Wait times can be viewed on individual hospital websites, or by visiting www.HCAdocs.org.

About HCA West Florida Division
HCA West Florida Division is a comprehensive network of 15 hospitals, 17 outpatient surgery centers, numerous imaging facilities and a complete continuum of specialized health programs and services that meet the healthcare needs of residents and businesses in West and Central Florida communities. In 2007, HCA West and Central Florida hospitals cared for more than 472,000 patients through Emergency Room visits and more than 153,000 hospital admissions. Our more than 4,000 physicians on staff and 15,000 employees provide the quality foundation for delivering care to our patients safely, effectively and compassionately. Our parent company, HCA, is the nation’s leading provider of healthcare services.