70,000 Visits a Year: Inside Midland's Emergency Department | Dana Taylor

ER really works: when it's the right place for care, when urgent care or a primary care doctor is the smarter (and far cheaper) call, and why the patient who arrived after you sometimes gets seen first. Dana also breaks down 688-NURSE, Midland Health's free 24/7 nurse triage line, and the hospital's 20-year SANE program for survivors of sexual assault. The conversation closes with an honest look at the pressures ER teams face — from rising workplace violence to responding to a recent mass shooting in our community — and a simple ask: be kind, and thank a nurse. In this episode: What actually belongs in the ER — and what doesn't The real cost difference between the ER, urgent care, and your primary care doctor 688-NURSE: a free, 24/7 nurse-led phone line that tells you where to go Inside the SANE program — six certified nurses, 20+ years, and why it matters for justice How ER triage works, and why "first come, first served" doesn't apply The numbers behind the wait: 70,000+ ER visits a year in Midland Why treatment chairs and new flow changes are getting patients seen faster The reality of workplace violence against nurses How the team responded when crisis hit our community Not sure where to go? Call 688-NURSE — free, 24/7, from a Midland Health nurse. Learn more about Midland Health: https://www.midlandhealth.org If this was helpful, please subscribe — it tells us you want more conversations like this. Have a topic or guest you'd like to hear from? Drop it in the comments. Chapters: 0:00 Welcome & why we need your subscription 1:05 Meet Dana Taylor, Emergency Department Director 5:51 Inside the SANE program (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) 9:22 When the ER is the right place for care 11:45 ER vs. urgent care — and the cost gap 14:19 688-NURSE: the free 24/7 nurse line 17:07 ER vs. urgent care vs. primary care, explained 20:05 Why everyone needs a primary care doctor 22:54 How to decide where to go in a crisis 28:20 How ER triage really works (acuity, not first-come) 30:59 The numbers behind ER wait times & flow changes 42:10 The reality of workplace violence in the ER 45:45 When crisis hit: the team's response to a community tragedy 50:05 Closing: be kind, and thank a nurse