RICHMOND, Va. — Several viewers told CBS 6 on social media they recently had to wait five hours to be seen at an emergency room in Virginia, with one viewer reporting a 9-hour wait.
So we wanted to know what people in Central Virginia think is an acceptable amount of time to wait to be seen in the ER.
“I feel like no matter what I would like to be seen in less than an hour,” one person said.
“Thirty minutes or less,” another person said.
“Twenty to thirty minutes. I think we have the infrastructure that people shouldn’t have to wait much longer than that,” a third person said.
While hospitals in Central Virginia may be hitting that mark sometimes, CBS 6 viewers told us that’s not always the case.
In some cases, viewers said they were finally admitted only to be placed on a bed in the hallway because no rooms were available.
“Not being able to get that help when you need it is kind of scary,” one woman said.
Local emergency room doctor and President-elect of the Virginia College of Emergency Physicians, Dr. Joran Sequeira, said long ER wait times have been a problem nationwide for years, but seem to be worse lately.
“Partly because just more patients are coming through the ER, people are getting sicker,” Dr. Sequeira said.
Among the reasons why? Hospital financial pressures, workforce shortages, and limited skilled nursing facilities available to move hospital patients to.
“Sometimes it’s related to not enough beds in the hospital, inpatient, and so people are working to try getting discharges and moving people around. Sometimes it’s related to nurse staffing, and if there are not enough nurses to staff those beds you have less beds available to patients,” Dr. Sequeira said.
“It does cause a backlog. Patients end up sitting in the waiting room for hours waiting to be seen, and they are undifferentiated. We have no idea sick or not sick yet.”
Dr. Sequeira also said seasonal changes can exacerbate the issue.
“It is a problem that happens a lot, frequently in the fall and winter time when volumes go up,” Dr. Sequeira said.
Issues that the Virginia College of Emergency Physicians said need to be fixed at the national and state levels, and emergency medicine leaders across the country are working with lawmakers and policy experts to address the complex crisis.
“There are some ideas out there, it’s just a matter of figuring out what is best for your hospital based on your hospital's needs,” Dr. Sequeira said.
Julian Walker, the Vice President for Communications at the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, said "In hospital emergency departments, patients are seen based on acuity, meaning those with urgent or time-sensitive medical needs may be treated sooner. This is known as a triage system. Even if the ED doesn’t appear busy from a lobby or waiting room, patients may not realize if ED staff are treating a significant volume of patients.”
He also said hospitals and healthcare providers continue to deal with staffing shortages, which can impact bed availability.
And beds are often filled with mental health patients who are awaiting transfer, or the patient's insurer delays care authorization.
Walker also said patients should be aware of when they should visit an emergency department as opposed to other healthcare settings.
"An ED visit may be appropriate for patients experiencing a life-threatening or severe injury, illness, or major medical distress. Less serious medical needs are often better addressed in outpatient practices like physician offices or clinics,” Walker said.
While the wait time issues are at hospitals nationwide, we did ask VCU Health if they are experiencing extremely long wait times in their ER.
Danielle Pierce, the Director of Public Relations at VCU Health, said:
"Our health system, like many others throughout the nation, is experiencing extended emergency department wait times due to the national boarding crisis, as described by the American College of Emergency Physicians.
While this challenge is not unique to VCU Health, we are deeply committed to ensuring that all patients receive the care that they need. To address these challenges, we are:
- Improving patient flow to reduce delays in transferring patients to inpatient care.
- Advocating for solutions to address this national issue, including expanded post-acute care.
Patient safety and quality of care are top priority even as we face these challenges, as reflected in VCU Medical Center’s recent “A” safety rating announced last week by the LeapFrog Group."
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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