NEW ORLEANS – By posting wait times for its area emergency rooms, the New Orleans-based Ochsner Health System is striving to become more transparent.

Wait times will be posted online in real time for Ochsner's four New Orleans-area ERs. Hospital officials say this will allow patients the option of being treated more quickly at another Ochsner hospital.

"High volumes have some emergency rooms in New Orleans experiencing substantial wait times," said Joe Guarisco, Ochsner's chief of emergency services. "In an effort to better meet patient needs, we're electronically surveying our four local hospitals' real time and passing wait times on to patients who can then make an informed decision to either stay where they are or travel to another location and be seen sooner."

According to Guarisco, on average, 90 percent of ER visits are considered urgent care, while the rest are actual medical emergencies.

"When patients arrive at the emergency room, their expectation is that they'll be placed in a room and evaluated by the provider, and the faster we can do that the better it is for the patient," said Guarisco.

Ochsner's four New Orleans ERs are at Ochsner Medical Center in Jefferson, Ochsner Medical Center in Kenner, Ochsner Baptist Medical Center in Uptown New Orleans and Ochsner Medical Center-West Bank in Gretna.

"Recently, we displayed door-to-doctor wait times and several patients opted to choose shorter lines at Ochsner emergency rooms in Kenner, LA and Ochsner Baptist in uptown New Orleans," said Guarisco. "Not only did those patients receive quality care quickly, it also decongested the ER where they first arrived  -  a balancing act that benefits everyone."

"Ochsner is committed to helping all patients in an emergency and we never turn anyone away. However, we want the public to know if they can travel to another Ochsner location to receive faster care, it will benefit them and the entire healthcare system," said Guarisco.