South Bay ERs Go High-Tech
SAN JOSE (KCBS) -- Two hospitals in Silicon Valley are the first in Northern California to publicly post their ER wait times.
There are a couple of ways patients can get that information. They can either go to the Good Samaritan, or Regional Medical Center websites, or simply text the letters "E-R" to the number 23000.
KCBS Mike Colgan Reporting:
"We live in the heart of Silicon Valley here, with some of the worlds largest, most technologically advanced companies right in our backyard, and it's time that health care starts to catch up with the technology used in other sectors," said Dr. Richard Newell, who heads up the ER at Good Samaritan Hospital.
He says that obviously, if you are experiencing life threatening symptoms, just call 9-1-1.
"The patients that should be using this are those with more minor illnesses such as cuts, bruises, scrapes, sprains, strains, weekend warrior type of injuries, along with those with colds, coughs, gastrointestinal illnesses, the non-life threatening illnesses," said Newell.
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