Let’s fix our emergency rooms

The wait times in the emergency rooms at Lansing area hospitals are unacceptable. Since the COVID pandemic, there has been an increase in the length of time that it takes for patients to be seen by providers.  

On Aug. 26, 2022, the average wait time at Sparrow and McLaren Greater Lansing Emergency Rooms was 4 hours and 30 minutes. 

If the wait times are so long, it will be extremely difficult for people like my grandparents to receive quality care in a reasonable period. They will be left sitting in the waiting room for many hours. Something must be done to correct this situation. 

My father, who is a local ER doctor, says that a main reason for these long wait times Is the shortage of nurses. Many nurses retired during the pandemic and the hospitals are not able to replace them. Some nurses are also opting to take high-paying travel nursing jobs in other states. 

The hospitals in the Lansing area must provide increased nurse staffing to their ERs. They must also hike the pay of the local nurse positions so that the nurses will not relocate elsewhere. Increasing nurse staffing will help alleviate the wait times in the local ERs. Patients like my elderly grandparents must be given access to quality health care in a reasonable time. The hospitals need to act quickly before it is too late.