New data from CMS’s Timely and Effective Care–Hospital dataset highlights national trends in emergency department (ED) wait times for psychiatric and mental health patients, and two Alabama hospitals ranked among the best in the country.
The dataset, released August 6, evaluates ED visits from January through December 2023 and measures the median length of stay for mental health patients. Nationally, the median ED visit time was 271 minutes, up slightly from 267 minutes the previous year.
Alabama Hospitals With the Shortest ED Wait Times
Among the 20 hospitals nationwide with the shortest median ED times, two Alabama facilities stood out:
- Washington County Hospital (Chatom, AL)
- Median ED Visit Time: 7 minutes
- Sample Size: 55 visits
- Crenshaw Community Hospital (Luverne, AL)
- Median ED Visit Time: 19 minutes
- Sample Size: 49 visits
These facilities, like most on the shortest-wait-time list, are small community or critical access hospitals, which often have lower ED volumes and patient acuity compared to larger trauma centers. CMS does not factor total ED volume or case mix index into this dataset.
Resource: Hospitals with the shortest, longest wait times for mental health patients