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Prince George's Co lawmakers addressing long emergency room wait times
Research reveals Maryland has the longest emergency room wait times in the entire country. The average wait time is around four hours. Prince George's County Council is working to address this concerning and growing problem. Vice Chair Wala Blegay joins FOX 5 to discuss the council's plans.
BETHESDA, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - Prince George’s County Council Vice Chair Wala Blegay introduced legislation on Tuesday, Sept. 26 to establish a task force to address long emergency room wait times.
The measure would establish an 11-member task force to evaluate best practices and make recommendations for reducing emergency department wait times in the county.
Back in July, Prince George’s County Council discussed the complaints from residents with hospital executives to hear their side to help identify the root causes of the problem and brainstorm effective solutions to provide shorter ER wait times.
Some people say they have even driven out of state to get the healthcare they deserve.
FOX 5 first reported on this concern in March. The average emergency room wait time in Maryland is around four hours.
Maryland has longest ER wait times in the nation: report
New data reveals the longest emergency room wait time is right here in the DMV.
"We have heard from our residents and hospital executives. It is now time to address how wait times will be reduced for our residents, which are untenable and can lead to dangerous consequences," Blegay said. "The task force will provide a report to the council and policy recommendations for implementation to ensure our residents are safe and receive efficient care in our county’s emergency rooms."
Under the proposed legislation, in addition to identifying the root causes of long wait times in emergency rooms, the task force will also study the regulatory environment, access, and availability of healthcare services and in-patient bed availability in neighboring jurisdictions.
The task force would be comprised of a board of health chair or designee; a state delegate or senator; an emergency room physician and nurse; one member each representing a hospital, nonprofit, fire/ems, Department of Health’s Healthcare Action Coalition, and SEIU local 1199; a legislative branch employee; and a Prince George’s County resident.
Cr-082-2023 has been referred to the council’s Health, Human Services, and Public Safety Committee for consideration.