Emergency Department Focus: Top 10 Busiest EDs in the United States
Emergency Departments (EDs) can go from being a calm, controlled, operation to a fast-paced, high-pressure environment where every second counts in a matter of minutes. For many patients, the ED is the first opportunity for providers to assess everything from heart attacks and infectious diseases to traumatic injury. For others, limited access to other forms of care means the ED is their only way to receive care. Regardless, EDs in the United States experience roughly 155 million visits per year – a figure that’s trending upward.
To illustrate the scale and intensity of this demand, here are the hospitals that recorded the highest number of emergency department visits in 2024:
2024 Emergency Department Visit Totals
- Parkland Health and Hospital System (Dallas) — 235,893 visits
- Lakeland (Fla.) Regional Medical Center — 211,801 visits
- Inova Fairfax Hospital (Falls Church, Va.) — 176,921 visits
- Multicare Good Samaritan Hospital (Puyallup, Wash.) — 169,896 visits
- Hackensack Meridian Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center — 150,090 visits
- Los Angeles General — 149,981 visits
- Grady Memorial Hospital (Atlanta) — 148,907 visits
- Wellstar Kennestone Hospital (Marietta, Ga.) — 147,750 visits
- Montefiore Medical Center-Moses Campus (New York City) — 145,369 visits
- NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln (Bronx, N.Y.) — 144,610 visits
What Brings Patients to the ED?
While it’s true that the ED often deals with critical emergencies, the reality is more nuanced. Many visits are for conditions that, while still urgent, are not necessarily life-threatening. According to the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), the most common reasons for treat-and-release ED visits in 2018 (before the COVID-19 pandemic) included:
- Abdominal pain
- Upper respiratory infections
- Sprains and strains
- Superficial injuries
- Back pain
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
- Headache
- Open wounds of extremities
- Chest pain
- Tooth and gum disorders
These visits often reflect gaps in access to primary care or urgent care, making the ED a critical safety net for many. With that said, treat-and-release visits make up approximately 87% of ED visits.
However, on the other end of the spectrum are cases that require hospital admission— or patients whose conditions are severe enough to warrant inpatient care. Using the same data set as before, the top 10 reasons for ED visits that led to admission include:
- Septicemia (sepsis)
- Heart failure
- Pneumonia
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchiectasis
- Acute myocardial infarction (heart attack)
- Cerebral infarction (stroke)
- Complication of surgical or medical care
- Diabetes with complications
- Acute kidney failure
- Urinary tract infection (UTI)
These conditions highlight the ED’s dual role: managing both high-volume, lower-acuity cases and stabilizing patients with life-threatening illnesses before transitioning them to inpatient care.
Supporting EDs is a Coordinated Effort
The lab, in many regards, is the hero behind many successful ED visits. Rapid diagnostics, accurate test results, and timely communication from lab professionals enable emergency teams to make critical decisions quickly. In terms of medication, many lifesaving drugs are kept in isolated service centers within the ED. Those centers must be managed, tracked, stocked, and administered.
To maximize the efficacy of emergency medicine, hospitals rely on modern pneumatic tube systems and pharmacy automation technology. Pneumatic tubes allow for the rapid transport of lab specimens, medications, and supplies between departments.
Meanwhile, pharmacy automation ensures that critical medications are dispensed quickly and accurately, minimizing delays in treatment and reducing the risk of human error. Together, these technologies support the ED’s ability to respond quickly to patient needs.
Final Thoughts
These numbers are more than just statistics—they represent the front lines of healthcare. As hospitals continue to innovate and adapt, the ED remains a powerful example of what’s possible when people, processes, and technology align in service of patient care.
