Narcisse cites H&H emergency department waits and overcrowding
Narcisse says New York City has 49 hospital emergency departments, including 11 operated by NYC Health + Hospitals, serving more than 8.5 million people. She reports that from 2022 to 2025 H&H patients waited an average of 12.8 hours to transfer from the emergency department to an inpatient bed.
While many factors contribute to these delays, one of the most significant is the growing strain on our health care system.
New York City is home to 49 hospital emergency departments, including 11 hospitals operated by NYC Health and Hospital, HNH.
That's where I used to work, which served more than 8.5 million New Yorkers.
Reports indicate that between 2022 and 2025, patients at H&H hospitals waited an average of 12.8 hours to be transferred from the emergency department to an inpatient bed.
This prolonged wait can delay critical treatment, disrupt continuity of care, and contribute
to overcrowded emergency rooms.
As a registered nurse who work in triage at Elmer's Hospital Emergency Department, I have witnessed these challenges firsthand.
Before first responders can return to the field and answer the next emergency call, patients must be registered, assessed, and safely transferred into the care of hospital staff.
When emergency departments are overcrowded and inpatient beds are not available on the floor, that process can take far longer
than it should, creating a ripple effect throughout the entire emergency response system.