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Adventist Medical Center Has Lowest Emergency Room Wait Times in the Portland Area

The average wait time is 16 minutes, compared to the state average of 28 minutes
March 1, 2017

PORTLAND, Ore.—Adventist Medical Center is the place to go if you don’t want to wait to see an emergency department doctor. According to data outlining emergency room wait times in Oregon, the independent nonprofit newsroom ProPublica found Adventist Medical Center has the lowest emergency room wait time in Portland, at 16 minutes, and one of the lowest in the state.

“The results of this report are a testament to the attention we pay to provide outstanding emergency department care,” said David Russell, president and CEO of Adventist Health Portland. “Visiting the emergency room can be uncomfortable, and our goal is to ease discomfort and reduce anxiety by getting patients seen as quickly as possible. Communicating quickly and frequently with our patients is a key way we deliver on our mission and provide an exceptional patient experience.”

The busy emergency department at Adventist Medical Center in Southeast Portland sees around 155 patients a day with symptoms ranging from minor injuries to the flu to chest pain. The emergency department at Adventist Medical Center is an accredited Chest Pain Center and an accredited stroke program, accomplishments that require meeting ongoing rigorous standards of quality. At Adventist Medical Center more than 90 percent of patients who arrive with symptoms of a stroke receive a CT scan, the primary method for diagnosing a stroke, within 45 minutes. At other emergency rooms in Oregon there is only a 60 percent chance you would receive the scan within the industry best practice of 45 minutes.

People who think they are having a heart attack or stroke should never drive to the emergency department. They should call 911 and take an ambulance to the emergency room, so the EMTs can work to stabilize people during transport, which saves time and lives. In most cases you can direct the ambulance to the emergency department of your choice.

Other signs and symptoms that you should go to the emergency room are heavy bleeding, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chest pain or heaviness, loss of consciousness and head injury.

About Adventist Health Portland

Adventist Medical Center, located in southeast Portland, is a nonprofit, 302-bed acute care facility, offering a full range of inpatient, outpatient and emergency services throughout the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area. It is ranked in the top 5% of hospitals nationwide for patient safety. Adventist Health Medical Group represents more than 100 primary care and specialty physicians who treat and admit their patients to Adventist Medical Center.

About Adventist Health

Adventist Health in Portland is part of Adventist Health, a faith-based, nonprofit integrated health system serving more than 75 communities in California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington. Our workforce of 32,700 includes more than 23,400 employees; nearly 5,000 medical staff physicians; and 4,300 volunteers. Founded on Seventh-day Adventist heritage and values, Adventist Health provides compassionate care in 19 hospitals, more than 260 clinics (hospital-based, rural health and physician clinics), 15 home care agencies, seven hospice agencies and four joint-venture retirement centers. In addition, the Adventist Health Plan serves patients in Kings County. Adventist Health ranked #10 in Becker's list of the largest nonprofit hospital systems in the U.S. for 2015. Visit AdventistHealth.org/NW for more information.

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