Meriter – UnityPoint Health Publishes ER Wait Times
Now Available on the homepage of Meriter.com
MADISON, Wis. – When you need medical care fast, you don’t want to be stuck in a waiting room; it’s why Meriter – UnityPoint Health is publishing its hospital Emergency Room wait times.
“The residents of Dane County have choice in their health care provider. At Meriter we are holding ourselves publicly accountable to meeting the community’s expectations by making our ER wait times available online,” said Arthur Nizza, President and CEO of Meriter – UnityPoint Health.
Meriter’s goal is to increase transparency around the access we provide in the Emergency Room and allow patients the ability to make more informed decisions about their health care. ER wait times are now listed on the homepage of Meriter.com, automatically updating every 15 minutes. To kick-off this initiative, wait times are also available on a digital billboard near the Beltline and Rimrock Road.
In 2014, the average wait time to receive care in the Meriter ER was just 9 minutes. Patients also spent significantly less time in the Meriter ER in all measured categories when compared to city, state and national averages, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.
Many factors can affect wait times, including the arrival of patients with trauma, life-threatening injuries or illness or those arriving by ambulance. Patients with a life-threatening condition will always be seen before those with less-serious illnesses or injuries.
The Meriter Hospital ER, located at 202 S. Park Street, is open 24/7 and includes a special area dedicated to emergency care for children. It’s also home to Dane County’s only Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program.
About Meriter–UnityPoint Health
Meriter–UnityPoint Health provides comprehensive, coordinated care to patients throughout the Greater Madison area through our clinics, hospital and home care services. Employing nearly 3,300 people, Meriter offers primary and specialty care, including heart and vascular, orthopedics, women’s health, and the busiest birthing center in Wisconsin. Meriter was named a 100 Top Hospital by Truven Health Analytics, is a 2014 recipient of the National Research Corporations’ Top Rated Pediatric Doctors award, a four-time winner of the Most Wired award and In Business magazine’s 2014 Top Company to Work For. For more information, visit meriter.com.
