I've been to the ER on several occasions and to different hospitals, there wasn't a time when they weren't full. This was in 2012 to 2019. I was sitting next to people who tried to commit suicide to people that had a tooth ache. Listening to someone get stitches on their wrist was excruciating. Listening to a patient who was in the ER because they forgot to take their meds and order the ER nurse around was very infuriating. A big issue was that people with no insurance would go straight to the ER because hospitals don't turn people away. That's the problem.
Separate topic, but I’ve been to ERs for myself and loved ones where it has been less than half capacity. However, that was Straub and Kuakini. Places like Queens and Pali Momi tended to be full. I think lots of better safe than sorry approaches. With my dad, there were a couple of cases where the “main” physician gave us a “that condition is of interest, but no openings, so head to ER to get checked out if you’re concerned”. In a couple of cases, the condition of interest was enough that my dad was admitted. That said, I can see many “checked you out, you’re good to go”.
Agree somewhat with issues with ER being a safety net for some. I’ve been in the ER a few times when there were frequent fliers returning. One was a homeless guy who had super low blood sugar. EMTs who brought him in mentioned that that wasn’t the first time. Was he doing it on purpose or not? Who knows. When the guy came to, he refused further treatment or food. They suspected, or at least made comments that he was trying to kill himself with insulin.
I thought Urgent Care facilities would help that situation. I’ve never been to one, but family and friends who have been have had mixed feedback and results. Overall, I still believe that the healthcare industry executives have a lot to blame for the issues we see.