ER Wait Times – Know Your Time, All the Time

In 2012 alone, we had 40,412 visits to our ER. With that sort of volume we believe it is our responsibility to deliver the highest level of emergency services to Southeastern Idaho. We know that when in the ER, the last thing we want our patients to be is just another number. That is why our ultimate objective is transparency. Because we are so committed to keeping your visit as short as possible, we proudly display our current ER wait time for the community to see.

We hope by now you have seen our billboard on Yellowstone Highway promoting the ER wait time at EIRMC. Of course, we don't expect people to check out those billboards before driving to the ER! We illustrate the times to increase awareness of our effort to deliver faster, better emergency care by reducing ER wait times. This billboard keeps us accountable, and shows that we are here to take great care of you.

Did you know that in ERs in Idaho and across the country, patients are seen in order according to the severity of their illness or injury when they arrive?  So, if you go to the ER with a head injury or chest pain, you will see a physician before the kid who got his hand stuck in the pickle jar.

Speaking of which, always call 911 for anyone who is experiencing a major medical emergency including life, limb, or sight threatening injuries, severe illness, heart attack or stroke symptoms.

When faced with a less severe medical emergency, people can easily find out how quickly they will be seen by a qualified medical professional at our local ER. It's as easy as texting "ER" to 23000 and then replying with a local zip code. Soon, a text will deliver the current average wait time at EIRMC.

Our ER wait times are updated via RSS satellite feed, so they are readily available on our hospital's website or via text any time of the day.

"Are those times real?" In short, yes.

Our wait times are updated every 30 minutes and based on a four-hour rolling average. It's true, sometimes our wait times are short, and sometimes they are longer. However, we hope you don't visit the ER enough to know the difference between a short and long wait time. If you ever need emergency care, we can assure you that our commitment to excellence pushes us to be better and faster.

For more information on our wait times and emergency services, visit our site.