As Predicted, Wait Times in the ED Are Pushing More Patients to Urgent Care

Just a couple of weeks ago, we reported that various hospital systems and municipal governments around the country were imploring patients to visit urgent care centers instead of hospital emergency rooms whenever it’s appropriate due to soaring wait times in EDs. That recommendation seems to have been adopted, as we’re already seeing local media reports of increased volume in UCCs. WTOC in Bryan County, GA, for one, reports that with area EDs being “overwhelmed with patients every day,” local urgent care centers are indeed seeing an influx of patients, though wait times there continue to be much shorter than in the ED. An article in the JUCM archive, Smoothing Ebb-and-Flow for Greater Staff Efficiency and Shorter Wait Times in Urgent Care, may help you assess your level of preparedness to serve more patients than usual with the same level of professionalism and efficiency for which urgent care is known.