WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — New York-Presbyterian Hospital announced that it is in the process of making changes to its emergency room after the facility near 168th Street and Broadway came under fire earlier this year for long wait times and crowded conditions.
Patients at New York-Presbyterian wait an average of 85 minutes in the emergency room before being seen by a doctor, according to data compiled by Pro Publica. The average wait time for all New York State emergency rooms is 35 minutes. At 256 minutes, the hospital’s average time for treating emergency room patients was also significantly higher than the state average of 156 minutes, the data showed.
After visiting a friend in the emergency room, state Sen. Adriano Espaillat described the conditions as “horrendous” at a September meeting of Community Board 12.
A spokeswoman for the hospital said that it is actively making improvements to try to address the issue. In a statement, the hospital said it expects to complete a $100 million expansion of the adult emergency department by 2017. The renovation will double the capacity of the current emergency room by upping the number of treatment bays from 44 to 88.
In addition, New York-Presbyterian said it is launching an awareness campaign with community organizations to educate residents about when it’s necessary to go to the emergency room and when it’s better to seek care at a doctor’s office, ambulatory care center or urgent care center. The hospital noted that three out of four patients who visit the emergency room could best be treated at a primary or urgent care facility.
Jonathan Davis, a spokesman for Espaillat’s office, said that while the expanded emergency room is a positive development, the issues go beyond a simple lack of capacity.
He noted that since Espaillat's office began looking into problems at the ER two months ago, that medical practitioners at the facility have complained about a lack of input on decisions that affect patient care and that patients have complained about issues of privacy after receiving consultation on medical issues in public areas, such as the waiting room.
Davis said they are looking to generate solutions that can be implemented before the 2017 opening of the expanded facility.
New York-Presbyterian did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the specific issues.
The state’s overall emergency care system has room for improvement, according to a 2014 report by the American College for Emergency Physicians. New York earned a “C” grade and had the fourth longest average emergency department wait time in the nation.
The report noted that New York faces particular challenges when it comes to emergency care, including the fourth fewest emergency rooms per capita — with only eight emergency rooms per 1 million people. In addition, the report noted that the state has a shortage of primary care doctors, driving more people into emergency departments for non-emergency illnesses.
Espaillat’s office will hold a public forum Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabaz Center at 3940 Broadway to discuss the public's concerns about the emergency room and possible solutions that can be implemented before the new space opens in 2017.
