There's a problem on both ends. Too many people seeking help for issues that should have nothing to do with ER care & the ER making people who have an actual issue wait 5+ hours for something that could be easily remedied with the help of an RN or even an in take nurse. My 68 year old father broke his wrist & got surgery for it at the Grace. After surgery they sent him home with a prescription for some T3's that did not help his pain at all after the initial anesthesia wore off. So back to the Grace we went 4 hours later around 5pm. We wait an hour to see an intake nurse while he's sweating & shaking in pain. The intake nurse speaks to someone who decided he can have a hydromorphine pill to help his pain. 15/20 mins later his pain is going away. We then sit there for 5+ more hours until he gets a room to see a doctor, which took another 45mins. The Dr. then prescribes him 30, yes 30 hydromophine pills to go be filled at a pharmacy. We then leave the Grace & realize it's almost 1am in the morning & there are no pharmacies open in this city after midnight anymore to fill his prescription which he now needs because the pill he took 6 hours ago is starting to wear off. So without even leaving the parking lot we turn around & he goes back in to get help. Thankfully he ran into an RN who used to work for him that was able to quickly get him another pill & send him home. He used i think 4 of the 30 hydromorphin pills over the next 2 days before he felt they weren't needed anymore.
The Healthcare system is broken & no one seems to really give a shit enough about it to help fix it. Not the government, not the doctors, not the Healthcare workers, not the unions & not the public. As long as our tax dollars keep funding it they'll keep pumping blood into it so it keeps bleeding & everyone can keep feeding until it runs dry for themselves & then they'll cry but it'll be too late. But they'll have a $3 million inquiry about that on a latter date so keep you faith. Hugs & prayers while you wait.