Two surveys indicate that influential people receive expedited care in the emergency room. The average ER waiting time in the United States is more than four hours.
Dr. A.J. Smally of Hartford Hospital and the University of Connecticut reported in a letter published in Annals of Emergency Medicine that more than half of the 33 emergency department medical directors in his state regularly provide expedited care to influential people, MSNBC reports. The people who receive this special care are locally important figures, such as corporate donors and hospital administrators.
A survey conducted by Truth on Call for MSNBC found that 84 of 100 emergency department doctors nationwide had given or would give special attention to an influential patient.
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