30-Minutes-or-Less ER Service Pledge

What exactly is the 30-Minutes-or-Less ER Service Pledge?
When patients enter the Emergency Department at Ponca City Medical Center, the time of their arrival is noted. Our pledge is that a clinical professional* will initially see them within 30 minutes of their arrival.

When do the 30 minutes officially start?
The 30 minutes start when the patient checks in with our staff at the Emergency Room desk.

Does the 30-Minutes-or-Less ER Service Pledge affect how patients are prioritized?
While the goal is to initially see every patient within 30 minutes, the most severe cases will always receive immediate attention.

How is the timeframe of patients’ visits documented for this pledge?
When a patient arrives and checks in, the time of arrival is noted. When the clinical professional initially sees the patient, the time is documented by the Emergency Department staff.

What was the average time a patient waited before?
We have been tracking patient wait times for the last year in preparation for the 30-Minutes-or-Less ER Service Pledge. Our wait times have consistently averaged less than 30 minutes.

Does this mean patients will be on their way home in 30 minutes or less?
No. We will work hard to have a clinical professional initially see our patients and begin their evaluation and treatment within 30 minutes. Depending on the nature of their illness or injury, the duration of each visit will vary.

Is a 30-Minutes-or-Less ER Service Pledge really necessary for an emergency room?
In many emergency rooms across the country, wait times have been increasing. We want to assure our patients that we are dedicated to not only offering quality care but also providing that care as efficiently as possible.

How can the Emergency Department maintain quality care if speed is the priority?
It is not our objective now, nor will it ever be, to ”rush” patients through the Emergency Department. Our process improvements have been focused on getting patients into a room as quickly as possible and enabling our clinical professional to initially see a patient and begin their diagnosis and treatment in a timely manner.

* Disclaimer
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 9-1-1.

Clinical professional is defined as a physician assistant or nurse practitioner.

The Emergency Department (ED) average wait time is provided as an informational service to the public. It is approximate, and based on a rolling average that is updated four times an hour and does not represent the actual current activity in the ER waiting room.

The ED wait time represents the time it takes from arrival until a patient is initially seen by a Physician. Patients are triaged upon their arrival in the ED. They are then seen by a Clinical Professional in an order based on their complaint, condition, and the reason for their visit.

While many patients are initially seen by a clinical professional within 30 minutes of their arrival, during some peak times when the number of patients and/or trauma situations exceeds the number of providers or beds, some patients are not initially seen within 30 minutes of their noted arrival.

Should you have any additional questions about our 30-Minute Pledge, please ask any of our Emergency Department staff.