TRENTON, NJ – New Jersey finds itself in seventh place on a list of states with the longest emergency room wait times, according to recent data. Patients in the state wait an average of 3 hours and 11 minutes in emergency departments before discharge or admission. The state is also dealing with a critical shortage of healthcare staff, expecting a deficit of 11,400 nurses by 2030.
Leading the list is Maryland, with a wait time of 4 hours and 2 minutes. Rhode Island and Massachusetts follow closely, each with wait times exceeding 3 hours and 30 minutes. Delaware and New York complete the top five, both reporting wait times that surpass the 3-hour mark.
Arizona comes in just ahead of New Jersey, with an average wait of 3 hours and 13 minutes, and the state ranks among the lowest in public health spending per person. Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and California also make the list, with Vermont closing the top 10 with a wait time of 2 hours and 58 minutes.
The data draws attention to a range of healthcare issues across the nation, from staffing shortages to insufficient public health spending. A spokesperson from Injured in Florida commented on the list, highlighting the utility of the ranking for identifying states most in need of healthcare improvements.
For New Jersey, the seventh-place ranking serves as a wake-up call, focusing attention on the urgent staffing needs within the state’s healthcare system.
Report conducted by Injured in Florida.