Russellville Hospital in top ten of shortest emergency room waiting times

When you or a loved one faces an emergency situation requiring a trip to the hospital emergency room, the last thing you want to experience is a long wait.

Fortunately for northwest Alabama, a new survey by Compare the Market shows four of Alabama’s shortest waiting times are at hospitals in Haleyville, Moulton, Hamilton and Russellville. 

The survey compiled publicly available hospital performance data via HospitalStats.org.

The study reviewed reported average emergency department waiting times of 88 hospitals across Alabama.

According to HospitalStats.org, the national average emergency room wait time is 2 hours 42 minutes as of 2024.

Alabama hospitals range from a low of 1 hour 6 minutes at Haleyville’s Lakeland Community Hospital all the way to 4 hours 37 minutes at Tuscaloosa’s DCH Regional Medical Center, the state’s longest average.

Lawrence Medical Center in Moulton had the state’s second shortest wait time of 1 hour 15 minutes. Marion Regional Medical Center in Hamilton has the 8th shortest wait time of 1 hour 45 minutes and Russellville’s own Russellville Hospital the 10th lowest average wait of 1 hour 47 minutes.

North Alabama Shoals Hospital in Muscle Shoals ranked 12th with an average wait time of 1 hour 51 minutes.

Russellville Hospital CEO Chris Ware said his facility being ranked among the state’s 10 shortest emergency wait times is a continued part of the hospital’s commitment to effectively serving its community.

“It’s extremely important to be able to respond to and treat patients in a timely fashion, and it’s something we are always working to improve,” Ware said.

Other than Callahan Eye Hospital in Birmingham, the remaining top ten shortest wait times belong to rural hospitals.

“This again demonstrates why rural hospitals play such an important role in the communities they serve,” Ware added.

The Alabama study was part of a national hospital review of 2,094 hospitals conducted by Compare the Market.