ROWLETT, TX (August 30, 2010) – Sometimes the most painful part about going to the emergency department (ED) is the wait time. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average hospital ED wait time to see a physician is nearly 56 minutes. Knowing where to go and how long the wait time in the ED is now as simple as point and click. Lake Pointe Medical Center recently introduced a new way for patients to find out ED wait times, before they ever leave the house.
Before heading to the ED, residents can now access the homepage of Lake Pointe’s website at www.lakepointemedical.com and check out the average door-to-bed wait time. Door-to-bed wait time is the average time a patient waits to be escorted to a bed from the time they arrive in the ED. The time is tracked using a statistical tracker system that transfers data to an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed. The feed automatically displays and updates the time online. Wait times reflect a rolling two-hour average and are updated every five minutes. Patients are seen in priority order based on the type and severity of their medical complaint.
“We know that families are busier than ever and that every minute matters when you are ill or have an injury,” says Jackie Cox, RN, director of emergency medicine at Lake Pointe Medical Center. “Our teams have worked hard to ensure that patients receive attention when they most need it and now our community will know just how long the average wait time to a room is before they ever leave the house.”
The technology is designed for patients with relatively minor medical conditions. Patients with potentially life-threatening health problems should call 9-1-1 so they can receive life-saving measures in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. Patients with medical emergencies, such as heart attack, stroke or traumatic injuries, are always seen immediately.
Scott Dencklau, D.O., emergency department associate medical director at Lake Pointe Medical Center says the technology is helping patients and the hospital address one of the most common complaints about emergency departments – long wait times. “A trip to the ED is something most people never want to have to face,” says Dr. Dencklau. “But for patients with non-life-threatening conditions, knowing before they come to the hospital what they can expect in terms of wait time in the ED can make their hospital visit less stressful.”
The emergency department at Lake Pointe Medical Center treats approximately 28,000 patients each year. Patients in the emergency department are separated by clinical need into specialized care areas. All patients benefit from advanced technology, quick response, and an experienced team of professionals who care for patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The 20-bed unit is equipped with two trauma rooms and 7 private treatment rooms to provide quality care for all patients. Lake Pointe Medical Center has completed application for Level IV trauma designation and JCAHO primary stroke center certification.
Patients whose complaints are less urgent or life threatening may be directed to the Fast Track unit within the emergency department to provide care for minor medical emergencies, such as cuts that require stitches, sprains, sore throats or other ailments. The same level of care offered in the emergency department by qualified medical staff is provided in the Fast Track unit. The goal of the Fast Track Unit is to provide care more quickly. For more information about emergency services offered at Lake Pointe Medical Center, visit www.lakepointemedical.com.
ABOUT LAKE POINTE MEDICAL CENTER
Lake Pointe Medical Center is a 112-bed acute care hospital located at 6800 Scenic Drive in Rowlett. Lake Pointe Medical Center has been serving the residents of Rockwall, Rowlett, Royse City and the surrounding communities since 1987. The hospital provides a wide spectrum of medical services, including an emergency department with Fast Track services, a 14-bed intensive care unit, women’s services, a Level II Neonatal Nursery, diagnostic imaging, eight operating rooms and telemetry. With a medical staff of over 400 physicians, Lake Pointe Medical Center provides a number of specialty services, including cardiology and cardiac rehabilitation, vascular surgery, neurosurgery, neurology, orthopedics, gastroenterology, oncology, infectious disease, general surgery, spine surgery, thoracic surgery, ear nose and throat, pulmonary medicine, urology, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and neonatal services. Lake Pointe also offers wound care, sleep medicine, physical, occupational and speech therapy as well as pulmonary rehabilitation. The Lake Pointe Urgent Care Center in Rockwall provides quick, convenient care for minor emergencies and illness. The Lake Pointe Imaging Centers in Forney and Rockwall provide extended imaging services to the community. In 2009, the hospital received two designations: a J.D. Power And Associates Distinguished Hospital Program Award for “An Outstanding Patient Experience” for Maternity Services; and two CIGNA Center of Excellence Designations for Laparoscopic Gall Bladder Removal and Vaginal Delivery. The hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency, licensed by the state of Texas and certified for participation in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. To learn more about Lake Pointe Medical Center, visit www.lakepointemedical.com.