Hospital Offers Free Movie Tickets For Slow Doctor Response

Hospital ER Offers Free Movie Tickets For Slow Doctor Response

CHESTERFIELD, Va. -- A hospital is promising emergency room patients they'll be seen by a doctor in 30 minutes or less -- or else receive an apology and free movie tickets.

Shortening emergency room waiting times is part of a hospital-wide initiative aimed at improving patient care, said Pam Hash, administrative director of emergency services at the newly opened St. Francis Medical Center. The free movie tickets were the marketing department's idea.

"One of the big dissatisfiers for patients is the wait time they spend in the emergency department," Hash said.

Other hospitals around the country have offered 30-minute guarantees to make themselves competitive. If the wait times are exceeded, patients are compensated with everything from restaurant gift certificates to free medical care.

There are exceptions to St. Francis' 30-minute guarantee, such as when the emergency department has multiple critical-care patients or is so crowded that ambulances are being diverted to other hospitals.