Here's how a Cincinnati ER cut its wait time by 70 percent

For some people who check in to a hospital emergency room, one of the biggest pains is how long they must wait to get checked out by a doctor and treated. "It remains a key issue mostly because that's how people talk about emergency departments," said Dr. Stephen Feagins, vice president of medical affairs for Mercy Health's Anderson Hospital. "You go to the emergency department, and the first thing people say is how long they waited. We saved your life three times, but it took 300 minutes to get you (admitted to) the hospital." Three years ago, ER patients had to wait an average of 40 minutes to be seen by a doctor when they walked in the door at Anderson Hospital. Now the time is just 12 minutes – a decrease of 70 percent.