Smartphone app provides up-to-date ER wait times for select hospitals

SALT LAKE CITY — Patients headed to Salt Lake Regional Medical Center and three other Utah hospitals can now get up-to-date emergency room wait times from their phones and portable computing devices.

IASIS Healthcare released a smartphone and iPad app that will better connect users with its four hospitals in Utah, including Salt Lake Regional, Davis Hospital and Medical Center, Jordan Valley Medical Center and Pioneer Valley Hospital. In addition to wait times, the free application provides a fully searchable physician directory and phone numbers and addresses for all IASIS Healthcare hospitals in five other states.

"Whether in Utah or any other IASIS location, residents can have instant access to hospital and physician information, 24 hours a day," said Matthew Pfeiffer, director of interactive strategy at IASIS.

A link to download the new app is available at www.saltlakeregional.com/apps.

Nearly two years ago, Mountainstar Healthcare, which operates various hospitals in Utah as well, posted electronic clocks on billboards along I-15, which reflect the closest ER wait times. That service is also available from Mountainstar via texting.