How Long is the ER Wait at Merrimack Area Hospitals?

If you go to the emergency room at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua or the Elliot Hospital in Manchester, how long will it take before you see a health care professional?

The federal government says 34 and 36 minutes, respectively, on average.

Each is longer than the state average of 33 minutes, but not far off.

Key measures of ER efficiency have been posted from hospitals across the country, according to a report by Cheryl Clark, of HealthLeaders Media.

“With precious little fanfare, Uncle Sam...rolled out a big, fat database with seven measures comparing a service that many people—healthcare providers and patients alike—consider the most critical any hospital can provide,” Clark wrote.

Data collected in 2011 and early 2012 also tracked things like how long it took for an ER patient with a broken bone to get pain medication, or how long the wait was to get a bed, if they needed admission. Other data showed how long patients spent in the ER before being sent home and whether they received a brain scan if they might have suffered a stroke. If even asked questions about how clean the bathrooms are.

For even more data on local hospitals, visit the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Hospital Compare website.