Emergency Room Visit

Have you been to the ER lately? We were there yesterday from 4 p.m. until 11 p.m. with our dad. I read where the average ER wait time is 2.5 hours, well not here! Everyone in Eastern Pierce Co. was at the ER yesterday. Every chair in the waiting room was full. All the rooms were full, gurneys lined the hall. More and more sick people kept coming and so did ambulance after ambulance. The doctors and nurses were busy, busy, busy. One poor lady arrived by ambulance after being turned away at 3 other hospitals. Many of the people looked like they did not have a real "emergency", but probably had no insurance. There are a number of "urgent care" clinics in the area. I have been to several and the wait has not been long. However, some do not take medicaid and/or medicare. Lots of people in the ER looked medicare age (as is my dad at almost 90). Dad survived the long wait. A prescription was written and he was sent on his way. When I took him to the urologist today, the doctor was less than pleased that a urology consult had not happened at the ER. I think the ER doctor may be getting a call.