Fatima is first hospital<br> in to post ER wait times

NORTH PROVIDENCE – Fatima Hospital became the first hospital in Rhode Island to post emergency room waiting times on its website, a move that reflects the growing trend of consumer choice in health care.
Its relatively short waiting times were likely a factor in leading Fatima to take the step before other local hospitals. Fatima said its emergency department typically sees wait times of less than 30 minutes. Recently, the hospital’s site showed zero minute waiting times at various times of the day.
“Wait times have historically exceeded several hours in busy emergency departments,” Dr. Josiah Child, chief of emergency services at Fatima, said in a release announcing the move. “Posting our wait times signals the community that our physicians are serious about providing he most modern and efficient services available anywhere.”
Wait times are posted at the top of the hospital’s Web page and will be updated by on-duty staff every half hour, the hospital said.. The time posted will be how long it will take to initially see a medical professional.
Brett Davey, director of communications for Fatima parent company CharterCARE Health Partners, said the hospital began planning the move last August and believes it will help improve workflow and efficiency in the emergency department.
“It keeps the staff focused on how long people have been waiting to be seen and allows for more physician attention on the front end,” Davey told PBN. “By seeing patients more quickly, it allows staff to better manage the flow.”
Last year, Fatima and fellow CharterCARE affiliate Roger Williams Medical Center became the first two hospitals in the state to open separate elder-friendly emergency departments designed to treat patients 65 and older.
Both moves reflect the shift toward consumerism in health care, with patients able to choose where to seek care, even in non-life-threatening emergency situations.

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