Wonder why emergency room wait times seem longer than ever? You can point a fractured finger at the Affordable Care Act, for one: 75 percent of ER docs say they’re seeing more patients post-ACA, according to a recent survey by the American College of Emergency Physicians. The upshot? Bring a book.
| Hospital | Average time before seeing a doctor or nurse |
Average time before outpatients are sent home |
ER visits =10,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ingalls Memorial Hospital Harvey |
11 minutes
|
2 hours, 12 minutes
|
103,390
|
| Northwest Community Hospital Arlington Heights |
20 minutes
|
2 hours, 50 minutes
|
69,296
|
| MacNeal Hospital Berwyn |
22 minutes
|
2 hours, 7 minutes
|
63,700
|
| National Average | 28 minutes
|
2 hours, 22 minutes
|
—
|
| Illinois Average | 31 minutes
|
2 hours, 28 minutes
|
—
|
| Presence Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center Ukrainian Village |
37 minutes
|
2 hours, 46 minutes
|
63,762
|
| Northwestern Memorial Hospital Streeterville |
38 minutes
|
3 hours, 51 minutes
|
82,764
|
| Advocate Lutheran General Hospital Park Ridge |
41 minutes
|
3 hours
|
63,5481
|
| University of Chicago Medical Center Hyde Park |
54 minutes
|
4 hours, 14 minutes
|
72,547
|
| Rush University Medical Center Near West Side |
1 hour, 5 minutes
|
3 hours, 54 minutes
|
64,1492
|
| Advocate Christ Medical Center Oak Lawn |
1 hour, 13 minutes
|
3 hours, 22 minutes
|
94,7713
|
| John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County Near West Side |
1 hour, 46 minutes
|
4 hours, 9 minutes
|
114,001⁴
|
1. Fastest to admit inpatients: 4 hours, 9 minutes 2. 4.36 percent give up and leave 3. Quickest with pain meds for broken bones: 16 minutes 4. Slowest to admit inpatients: 8 hours, 8 minutes
Note: Data are from 2014, the most recent year available. Source: Illinois Department of Public Health
Note: Data are from 2014, the most recent year available. Source: Illinois Department of Public Health