Heard of Call Ahead Seating? Local Hospital Offers Similar Service for ER Patients

The billboard across from University Community Hospital depicted a comfortable scene with a simple message.

A man was sitting on his couch at home. Below him was the title, "The New ER Waiting Room."

Gone are the days of waiting for hours in the emergency room at local hospitals. Busy schedules and the desire to make hospital visits as convenient as possible for patients prompted officials to bring a software system called "In QuickER" to the hospital at 7171 N. Dale Mabry Highway.

UCH is one of 25 hospitals nationwide using the service, which allows patients with non-life threatening medical problems to schedule a same-day trip to the emergency room by going to www.inquicker.com.

After paying a fee of $14.99, patients can choose a time that works for them, and a nurse is notified that the patients will be arriving at that time. A room is held open for the patient, and they are guaranteed to be seen by a doctor within 15 minutes of arrival.

Jack Badget, the hospital's director of emergency services, said he brought the service to the hospital a few months ago after talking to the directors of other hospitals in the country who had begun to use the service. The only cost for the hospital was a licensing fee, he said.

"The feedback I got from other hospitals was that their patients thought it was outstanding," he said. "They had nothing but great things to say."

So far, over 100 patients have used the service, which has been advertised in radio and television ads and in local newspapers.

Mary C. Whillock, the hospital's chief operating officer and associate nursing officer, said hectic lifestyles have allowed services like In QuickER to become a hit with patients.

"It lets you plan your care," she said. "You're in and out in an hour. It fits the lifestyles of today's folks."

Badget said the idea of using In QuickER has changed the way people perceive taking a trip to the emergency room.

"The whole concept is to improve emergency room care," he said. "This blows it out of the water."