Study: Maine ranks 4th in the country for ER visits

PORTLAND (WGME) – A new study ranks Maine one of the top states in the country for emergency room visits, but some Maine hospitals say those numbers have been gradually going down over the years.

While Maine does rank one of the highest in the country for ER visits, some hospitals in the state say they're working to lower those numbers by creating new programs that give people other alternatives than just coming to the ER.

For years, hospitals say they've struggled keeping emergency rooms beds open and wait times down.

"When you don't have anywhere else to turn or you can't get in to see your own doctor for example, you may wind up in the emergency department and it's that part that we've been focusing on," Dr. John Southall of Mercy Hospital said.

At Mercy Hospital in Portland, doctors say they've been working to give patients other alternatives.

"We've really been investing in primary care and ensuring that patients that used to have to go to the emergency department now can get same day appointments in their primary cares for example," Southall said.

But a new study released by MedicareHealthPlan.com ranks Maine fourth in the country for highest ER visits per capita from 2012 to 2016.

But Mercy says they are seeing the opposite.

"We've actually seen a stabilization of our emergency room department volume, not the significant high utilization that was described in that study so our experience has been somewhat different," Southall said.

With new community outreach and other resources, Mercy says this is only the beginning.

"People who used to come to us three or four times a day, really just seeking self-actualization or some sort of connection no longer come, they have primary care many are working," Melissa Skahan said.

While Mercy Hosptial says their programs have been successful in lowering those numbers, they say they're continuing to find new ways to lower them even further.