General News
Three hospitals in North Carolina — including one in Fayetteville — were listed among the busiest emergency departments in the nation, according to a report from Becker's Hospital Review.
The medical trade industry magazine used self-reported numbers from individual facilities to determine the 52 hospitals with the most emergency department visits in 2022. While the ranking notes that it is based on self-reported data and may not be a comprehensive list, the information gives insight to the daily operations of each facility.
Parkland Health and Hospital System in Dallas, Texas ranked No. 1 overall, being the only hospital to report more than 200,000 visits in a year.
Below is a look at the North Carolina hospitals included in the ranking. To see the full list, go to Becker's Hospital Review's site.
WakeMed Raleigh
WakeMed Raleigh Campus ranked No. 8 among for emergency department visits, 137,402 visits equating to almost 377 visits per day. In 2021, the hospital ranked 12th with 127,059 visits, which equates to 348 visits per day.
WakeMed has four main hospitals, three of which are located in Raleigh — WakeMed Raleigh Campus, WakeMed North Hospital and WakeMed Rehabilitation Hospital — and one in Cary.
The hospital is a 970-bed healthcare system founded in 1961 has multiple facilities around the metropolitan Raleigh area and has three healthplexes with 24/7 emergency departments. The Becker's ranking noted that its data is based upon single facility visits.
Cape Fear Valley Medical Center ranked No. 16 for most emergency department visits in 2022. Its 124,238 visits equate to more than 340 visits per day. In 2021, the hospital ranked 14th in emergency department visits with 119,774 visits, equating an average of about 328 visits a day.
Cape Fear Valley Medical Center is a 200-bed hospital that first opened in 1956. It is one of the major regional medical centers for rapidly growing Fayetteville and Cumberland County, serving a population of 300,000.
The hospital specializes in heart care, cancer treatment and surgical services and has a full-service birth center, according to the Cape Fear Valley Medical Center website. Located directly behind the main hospital is the Cape Fear Valley Rehabilitation Center where patients can receive treatment for brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, stroke, neurological impairments and orthopedic injuries.
ECU Health Medical Center
ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville ranked No. 30 in emergency department visits with 109,677 visits, meaning the emergency department sees an average of more than 300 patients a day.
ECU Health Medical Center services more than 1.4 million people in 29 counties in North Carolina.
Public safety reporter Joseph Pierre can be reached at jpierre@gannett.com.
