In December 2011, WellStar Cobb became the first hospital in the Atlanta, Georgia area to launch ER Express

ER Express gives patients with non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries a simple, user-friendly web-based tool for reserving a time slot in the ER. This allows patients to compare emergency room wait times at nearby hospitals and bypass a hospital's ER waiting room. End Quote

Atlanta, GA (1888PressRelease) May 17, 2012 - Cobb County, Georgia, - WellStar Cobb, in Austell, Georgia, is a non-profit hospital and part of the WellStar health system. In December 2011, WellStar Cobb launched ER Express, the first hospital in Atlanta to offer it. During the initial pilot program, more than 200 patients made reservations. WellStar promoted this new service through brochures in patient discharge packets, signage around the hospital, a direct mailer to the community, and a featured article in the community newsletter. In 2011 alone, WellStar Cobb's ER visits were more than 92,600.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, ER Express is a privately held company that allows patients to compare emergency room wait times at nearby hospitals and bypass a hospital's ER waiting room through an online reservation system. ER Express was founded by an emergency medicine group to provide patients with an alternative to the crowded ER waiting room. With ER Express, patients simply search by their zip code, city, or keyword and are given a list of nearby hospitals. If a hospital is affiliated with ER Express, the patient can view real time appointment times and then reserve their place in line. Rather than spend hours awaiting treatment in a crowded waiting room, patients can wait in the comfort of their own homes, and then arrive at the ER for treatment at the selected appointment time. ER Express does not charge patients for this service, which will soon be offered in hospitals across the country.

While the emergency room reservation concept is relatively new, use of this technology has increased dramatically in the last year. With increasing ER wait times a growing issue in the United States, many hospitals are now posting their wait times and offering convenience-oriented services to improve customer service. Over the last decade, the number of visits to emergency departments has increased by 32% and is expected to double over the next ten years. Concurrently, the number of Emergency Departments has decreased by 4.6%, leading to average wait times of nearly four hours.

About ER Express: Headquartered in Atlanta, GA, ER Express is a privately held company. ER Express was founded by an emergency medicine group to provide patients with an alternative to the crowded ER waiting room. The Cobb County based website is: www.erexpress.com/Cobb. Check it out and use it. It's easy and free.

https://www.erexpress.com/

###

Visit Er Express Website

space