Health First Launches ER Wait Times

By  //  December 14, 2011

HEALTH & MEDICINE

ER Wait Times and Maps – Text “BrevardERs” to 41411

ROCKLEDGE, FLORIDA — Brevard County’s exclusive online ER Wait Times service has now expanded to Smart phones and texting on the go.

For the first time, anyone can send a text message and instantly receive up-to-date wait times at all of Health First’s emergency rooms (ERs).

In addition, if you have a GPS-enabled Smart phone, you can instantly get plotted map routes from where you are to all Health First ERs.

During an emergency, one of the most precious things you can’t afford to waste is time.

When you or a loved one needs emergency care, you want to know how quickly that help will be available.

If you’re on the road, you need to know the quickest route to the ER, and how long you will have to wait before the injuries or illness is assessed.

Now, you can access life-saving information wherever you are, whenever you need it.

Simply text the word: “BrevardERs” to 41411, and you will receive the current, real-time wait times as well as customized directions based on your location.

The new texting option is part of Health First’s recently launched www.BrevardERs.org service.

The new ER service has made it easier than ever for residents to know what to expect if they need to visit one of Health First’s ERs at Cape Canaveral Hospital, Holmes Regional Medical Center, Palm Bay Hospital or Viera Hospital, above.

As the largest local healthcare provider, Health First launched its new real-time instantaneous ER Wait Times for all four of its hospitals originally this past August.

The new service has made it easier than ever for residents to know what to expect if they need to visit one of Health First’s ERs at Cape Canaveral Hospital, Holmes Regional Medical Center, Palm Bay Hospital or Viera Hospital.

Health First is the only hospital system in the area that currently offers the ER Wait Times Service to patients.

“This expansion of the www.BrevardERs.org service now allows our patients to access our ER Wait Times from anywhere,” said Health First Spokesman Elliot Cohen.

“But what is more important, this new enhancement provides instant directions to the emergency room from wherever they are. At a time when every second counts, having that information on the go could be life-saving, and Health First is the only place you can get it.”

The ER Wait Times are updated around the clock and show the current time it will take to be seen by a qualified healthcare ER Triage professional. But the reality is that you may be seen even faster than the posted time, depending on the type of emergency.

More serious cases are treated in an ER faster than less life-threatening cases based on a professional’s assessment during ER Triage.

Another great advantage of the new website is that you can make a more informed decision concerning whether an ER is the best place to take your loved one.

Some less-serious, non-life-threatening injuries or illnesses can be treated at a walk-in clinic instead of an ER.

Health First’s QuickCare Clinic located on the South end of Holmes Regional Medical Center, as well as the Health First Physicians Cocoa Beach Walk-in Clinic just a block west of A1A on North Banana River Boulevard can treat many less-serious injuries that don’t require the type of emergency care provided in an ER.