Every Minute Matters at Medical Center Enterprise

12/30/2025

Shorter ER wait times help patients get the care they need, faster

(Enterprise, AL) – When health emergencies happen, patients and their family members often turn to the emergency department for prompt medical attention. With thousands of patient encounters in the ER annually, Medical Center Enterprise not only delivers medically necessary, life-saving patient care, it prioritizes short wait times, with a goal to connect every patient with a medical professional for timely assessment and treatment.

ER wait times can be an indicator of hospital efficiency and patient experience, and is one of the quality indicators measured for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) star ratings. While CMS measures the total time a patient spends in the ER, the first step at Medical Center Enterprise is to be evaluated by a physician, physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner.

“No one wants to spend hours waiting in the ER when they aren’t feeling well, and we are continuously evaluating and refining our processes, staffing and communications to get patients timely care,” said Dr. Rick Harrelson, emergency department medical director at Medical Center Enterprise. “We will always treat the most critical emergencies as soon as necessary, but our goal is for every patient to be seen in the shortest time possible.”

When considering whether to visit the emergency department, rather than an urgent care or primary care doctor, it’s important to remember that emergency departments typically treat life-threatening situations that need immediate attention in a hospital setting, such as heart attack symptoms, stroke symptoms, difficulty breathing, severe allergic reaction and uncontrollable bleeding. Urgent care centers are an option when quick treatment is needed but it is not a medical emergency, such as sprains and strains, low-grade fever and mild flu or cold symptoms.

Dr. Harrelson said that with the holidays approaching, Medical Center Enterprise often experiences an uptick in ER visits. According to the American Heart Association, the risk of heart attack and stroke increases around the holidays, but people often ignore early warning signs rather than getting them checked out. Harrelson says that is a mistake.

“Medical care is critical for patients experiencing symptoms of a heart attack or stroke,” said Harrelson. “Prompt treatment not only saves lives, it can minimize long-term damage and complications. Our emergency department team is well-equipped to evaluate patients experiencing common symptoms and get them the care they need even during the busiest times of year.”

Medical Center Enterprise is an Acute Stroke Ready Center by the Joint Commission, which reinforces that it follows the national standards of care for stroke. Common heart attack symptoms include chest discomfort, discomfort in other areas of the upper body and shortness of breath. Stroke symptoms include face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty and speech difficulty. Anyone experiencing heart attack or stroke symptoms should call 9-1-1.

In 2024, Medical Center Enterprise’s emergency department provided care at more than 32,000 patient visits. Over the course of 2024, Medical Center Enterprise played a vital role helping people get well and live healthier at more than 111,700 patient encounters through MCE and MCE Medical Group sites of care. Of that, $41Million was uncompensated care. Medical Center Enterprise dedicated $911,000 to capital improvements to increase comfort and safety measures for our patients.

Medical Center Enterprise has served the healthcare needs of the community for over 100 years. It is a 131-bed acute care hospital offering a full range of health services to Enterprise, Ft. Rucker, Coffee County and surrounding areas. Skilled professionals and technology come together to provide patients with compassionate, customer-focused care. Key services include obstetrics & gynecology, emergency medicine, orthopedics, diagnostic imaging with digital 3D mammography, general surgery, physical therapy, family/internal medicine, internal sleep clinic and senior care.

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