‘Tis the Season for Holiday Mishaps

Las Vegas, NV – With falls from hanging lights to sprained wrists from toy assembly, it’s the season for holiday mishaps. But you don’t have to spend your time waiting in the emergency room. The hospitals of Sunrise Health – Sunrise Hospital, MountainView Hospital, Southern Hills Hospital and Sunrise Children’s Hospital – have implemented a new ER text wait time program to help Las Vegas residents determine the fastest emergency room wait times at local facilities.

“When patients are hurting, they want to be seen fast,” said Sylvia Young, president and CEO of Sunrise Health. “And sometimes the closest ER doesn’t mean you will be treated faster. By using the text message program, patients can find out wait times before they go to the hospital and then choose the best location based on their situation.”

In the event of a serious injury or medical condition, it is always recommended to call 9-1-1 immediately. The text messaging technology allows for patients with less severe injuries and emergencies to get current ER wait times before choosing a hospital so they can spend less time waiting and feel better faster.

Simply text ‘ER’ to 23000 from your cell phone; reply with your zip code; and receive current wait times at our area Emergency Rooms along with a number to call to speak with a nurse.

The text message program works using a technology that links the computer systems in emergency rooms with the texting abilities of cell phones. Using this system, texters can see exactly how long recent patients have waited to be seen by the physician. Standard text messaging rates may apply.

With over 30 million visitors to the Las Vegas area, local residents aren’t the only ones who benefit from this program. “When visitors come to Las Vegas, they don’t plan on getting sick. But it can and does happen. This program allows our out-of-town guests to quickly get ER wait time information in an unfamiliar city,” Young said.

In addition to text messages, ER wait times are also available on each hospital’s website:

Sunrise Hospital www.SunriseHospital.com

MountainView Hospital www.MountainView-Hospital.com

Southern Hills Hospital www.SouthernHillsHospital.com

Sunrise Children’s Hospital www.SunriseChildrensHospital.com

About Sunrise Health:

Sunrise Health is the most technologically advanced hospital network in the central Southwest. Committed to providing the finest healthcare, Sunrise Health includes Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center, MountainView Hospital, Southern Hills Hospital & Medical Center and Sunrise Children’s Hospital, as well as outpatient diagnostic, imaging and surgical centers. Specialty services include a suite of the latest diagnostic and surgical technologies, The Nevada Neurosciences Institute, a designated comprehensive cancer center, The Breast Center at Sunrise, the state’s only children’s hospital and the region’s only certified stroke center.

For more information about Sunrise Health visit www.SunriseHealthInfo.com.

Need a Physician or health information? Call Consult-A-Nurse at 702-233-5300.

Media Contact:

Ashlee Seymour, Sunrise Health, 702-731-8321 or Ashlee.Seymour@hcahealthcare.com

Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center
(702) 233-5454