Mar 21, 2022 - News
ER visits average more than 2 hours in Iowa
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Iowa sits in the middle of the pack for time spent in an emergency room — averaging a little over two hours, according to research by IT service automation company SysAid.
State of play: Des Moines-area hospitals have recently struggled with record-long waits, especially during the second half of 2021 when the Omicron surge was compounded by staffing shortages.
- Local hospitals said wait times could reach up to 10+ hours depending on the day.
Yes, but: There's hope that increases in staff pay and a decline in COVID patients could help wait times settle down.
Of note: SysAid studied Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services data from January 2020 to March 2021.