Online Check-In Comes to McLaren Bay Region's Emergency Department
The McLaren Bay Region Emergency Department is proud to offer a new online ER check-in system available at
mclaren.org/ERCheckIn. The system allows patients with non-life-threatening medical conditions to swap the ER waiting room for the comfort of their home.
Users will be prompted to answer a few short screening questions to gauge the severity of their medical condition. The system is designed to identify key terms which may signify a more serious condition requiring immediate treatment. If it is non-life-threatening, the patient can select a projected treatment time. Upon check-in completion, the submission will be reviewed by a McLaren Bay Region Emergency Department staff person who will verify it is appropriate for the individual to wait at home.
“We understand when you are in need of emergency care, the last place you want to be is sitting in an emergency room,” said Darrell Lentz, McLaren Bay Region President and CEO. “By offering online check-in, our goal is to keep our patients in a more comfortable and less stressful environment while they await care.”
It is important to mention online ER check-in does not allow patients to skip the wait for emergency services, patients are simply choosing to wait in a more comfortable environment. It is also not a system to schedule care. “Our team will work diligently to meet the projected treatment time the patient receives from our online check-in system, but by the very nature of the emergency department, things can change quickly.” explained Lentz. “Upon the patient’s arrival to our facility, it is our commitment to have the patient seen as promptly as possible by a healthcare professional.”
If a patient is experiencing a life-or-limb-threatening condition, they should skip the online check-in and seek immediate emergency care by calling 9-1-1. “When it comes to health, it’s always better to be safe than sorry,” says Lentz.
The software provides a projected time based on current emergency department conditions. Wait time may be affected by the number of patients with more serious conditions who are seeking care. In the event of an unforeseen delay, a real-time notification will be sent, allowing the individual to continue waiting at home.
For more information, or to check-in for emergency care, visit mclaren.org/ERCheckIn.