Parkland Medical Center ER Wait Times Less Than 30 Minutes

Derry, NH – June 3, 2010 - Patients visiting the emergency room at Parkland Medical Center no longer need to guess how long they’ll wait before receiving care.  Now they can find out in advance, thanks to a new program that publicizes the hospital’s average wait time via text messaging and/or the internet.

To find out our current average wait time Text “ER” to 23000 or visit http://parklandmedicalcenter.com.

This new transparency of ER wait times is a celebration of more than 18-months of work by the ER to improve the speed at which we get the patient to the provider to begin their exam.  We know that Seacoast families are busier than ever and that every minute matters when someone is ill or injured.  Our team has worked hard to insure that patients receive quick attention when they most need it and now patients will have visibility to just how quickly they will be seen by the provider.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) the average hospital ER wait time is 55 minutes from 38 minutes, 10 years ago.

This technology has been piloted by several HCA (Hospital Corporation of America) owned hospitals is designed for patients with relatively minor medical conditions such as a sports injury or dehydration---not for those with chest pain or other potentially life threatening health issues.  Those patients should call 911 so they can receive life saving measures in the ambulance prior to reaching the hospital.

Wait times are updated every 30 minutes.  The term wait time is defined as the time between entering the ER and the beginning of the medical screening examination from a qualified medical professional --physician, a physician assistant or nurse practitioner.

About Parkland Medical Center
Parkland Medical Center is a regional acute care hospital located in Derry, New Hampshire, serving the populations of Derry, East Derry, Londonderry, Windham, Salem, Chester, Atkinson and Hampstead.  Established in 1983, the hospital is a leading provider of high quality healthcare services. To learn more about its services, programs and physicians, visit parklandmedicalcenter.com.

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Contact:
Nancy E. Notis
603.433-5125
Nancy.Notis@hcahealthcare.com