ALBANY, NY – New York State has been ranked fifth in a list detailing the longest average emergency room wait times in the nation. Patients in New York wait an average of 3 hours and 21 minutes before they are either admitted or discharged. The state is also home to several hospitals with low performance grades, including one with a grade F rating.
Maryland leads the list with an average wait time of 4 hours and 2 minutes, despite having some of the best medical facilities in the country. Rhode Island and Massachusetts are next, both with average wait times over 3 hours and 30 minutes. Delaware follows in fourth place with an average wait time of 3 hours and 30 minutes.
Arizona is right behind New York in sixth place, with an average wait of 3 hours and 13 minutes, notable for its low public health spending per capita. New Jersey ranks seventh, also exceeding the 3-hour mark, and faces a severe nursing shortage. Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and California are close behind, with Vermont rounding out the top 10.
The ranking underscores various healthcare challenges, from staffing shortages to underfunded public health initiatives. A spokesperson from Injured in Florida commented on the importance of the data for understanding which states are most in need of healthcare improvements.
For New York, the fifth-place ranking serves as a critical indicator, shedding light on areas within the state’s healthcare system that require immediate attention.
Personal injury attorneys Injured in Florida analyzed hospital data to discover the average time patients spent in the emergency room across all 50 states.