New study says Maryland's ER waiting times are longest in the country

A new study revealed the top states with the longest and shortest emergency room waiting times and Maryland tops the ranking.

The research says residents have a median waiting time of 4.18 hours (251 minutes). Rhode Island came in second with a median waiting time of 3.6 hours (216 minutes).

To put that into perspective, residents of Maryland are waiting longer than North Dakota and South Dakota combined.

The study was conducted by experts at the Zinda Law Group .

At the other end of the scale, the state with the quickest ER time is North Dakota with a waiting time of 1.8 hours.

"By analyzing ER waiting times, we can shed light on the efficiency of healthcare systems in different states. The differences in waiting times may potentially indicate areas where improvements are needed to ensure timely and effective care for all patients," said a spokesperson for Zinda Law Group.