Care, Wait Time & Satisfaction Ratings

Care Quality

• We administer the drug tPA to break apart brain clots 45 minutes (on average) after a stroke patient arrives here, compared to the 60-minute guideline set by the American Stroke Association and American Heart Association. 
• Our average time for performing mechanical thrombectomy, the minimally-invasive procedure to remove an artery clot, after the patient’s arrival is faster than the Associations’ 90-minute standard.
• For patients who need surgical heart attack intervention to open a blocked artery with a balloon-tipped catheter, we exceed the American Heart Association’s 90-minute standard for initiating the procedure 99% of the time. Our team has met that goal in as little as 22 minutes and generally achieves it within 60 minutes.
• Ours is among the region’s best emergency departments for treating sepsis with life-saving protocols designated by the Society of Critical Care Medicine. 
• Overlake is the Eastside’s first Level III Trauma Center. Our rooftop helicopter landing pad offers emergency access to rescue teams and first responders throughout East King County. AirLift Northwest brings patients here from across the state. We serve as the back-up hospital to Harborview Medical Center in the event of a large-scale emergency or regional disaster.

Patient Satisfaction

• We rank in the 97th percentile for patient satisfaction of all emergency departments of our size across the country.
• Our satisfaction scores are among the top for hospitals of all sizes in the Puget Sound region.
• Over 90% of our patients say they will recommend us to other people.
• More than 90% of patients give us high marks for courtesy.

About Emergency Department Wait Times

Patients who come to our emergency department receive an initial medical evaluation and then are treated based on the severity of their condition. This means your wait time will vary depending on the severity of your condition and the severity of the conditions of other patients in our emergency room.

Patients who need the most immediate care, such as those experiencing heart attacks, strokes, severe bleeding or other potentially life-threatening conditions, are given the highest priority. Because each patient’s condition is unique, it is not always possible to give you an estimate of how long you will wait to be seen by an emergency room provider.

Some patients bypass our emergency waiting room and are brought to the hospital by ambulance. Treatment of these patients may also impact the wait times of other emergency room patients.

Please know that we strive to see every patient as quickly as possible, and we thank you for your patience and understanding.