Maryland, Massachusetts and Rhode Island are among the worst states in which to get injured, according to an analysis of average hospital emergency department wait times.
The study, conducted by the Whitley Law Firm, examined data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), published on August 6, which showed the "average (median) time patients spent in the emergency department before leaving from the visit" in each state.
These average wait times were used to rank the states from the longest wait time to the shortest to determine the best and worst states to be injured in.
Maryland was found to be the worst state, having the longest wait time in the country. Patients in Maryland were reported to experience a median wait time of 251 minutes (more than four hours) in the emergency department before being attended to.
However, Maryland was also recently ranked seventh among the with the best overall health system performance for 2025 in a separate study by The Commonwealth Fund, published in June.
The study was based on 50 measures of health care access and affordability, prevention and treatment, avoidable hospital use and costs, health outcomes and healthy behaviors, and equity.
In the study by the Whitley Law Firm, Massachusetts and Rhode Island came in joint second place, with the average patient wait time reported to be 220 minutes in both states.
Massachusetts and Rhode Island, however, also ranked as no. 1 and no. 4, respectively, for overall health system performance in the Commonwealth Fund study.
Patricia Noga, vice president of clinical affairs at the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association (MHA), told Newsweek: "Massachusetts hospitals-like those throughout the nation-remain under extraordinary pressure.
"They are navigating workforce shortages, an aging population that is sicker and in need of longer stays, and significant obstacles in discharging patients who are ready for the next level of care.
"All of these factors contribute to wait times and access obstacles patients are experiencing today."
Massachusetts has been taking measures to help address healthcare obstacles, such as by boosting the healthcare workforce to free up more care beds for those in need. An MHA report from June 2023 found that around 1,200 patients awaiting discharge were "stuck" in hospitals because they cannot access the next level of care they need.
Ranking third in the study by the Whitley Law Firm was Delaware, where patients were reported to spend a median wait time of 214 minutes in the emergency waiting room. The state was followed by Connecticut in fourth place, with a wait time of 197 minutes.
Rounding out the top five states with the worst wait times was New York, which ranked fifth with a median wait time of 193 minutes. New York was also among the top rankings for overall health systems in the Commonwealth Fund study, coming in sixth place.
A spokesperson for The New York State Department of Health told Newsweek: "Ensuring all patients receive proper care is a priority for the Department, which is why Governor Kathy Hochul continues to invest in healthcare facilities statewide to help them upgrade and expand their emergency departments."
New York's State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald says: "These funds will enable our health care providers and facilities to further modernize and integrate health care services to ensure that New Yorkers receive access to the medical care they require now and for future generations. New York is a national leader in providing first-rate health care thanks to Governor Hochul's dedication to making sure our health care systems have the resources necessary to deliver the best care possible for all New Yorkers."
The department has also issued "safety net hospital transformation awards" to hospitals and health care partnerships across New York, many of which include funding to improve emergency departments and wait times, as well as care delivery. Safety-net hospitals are medical centers in the U.S. that provide health care to patients regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay for the care.
New York was followed by North Carolina (sixth place), with a median wait time of 192 minutes spent in the emergency room, and Vermont (seventh), where patients were expected to wait 185 minutes before being attended to. Vermont was also ranked as having the eighth best overall health system by the Commonwealth Fund study.
New Jersey ranked eighth among the worst states to be injured in, with an emergency department wait time of 184 minutes. California and Pennsylvania were tied for ninth place, with an emergency wait time of 182 minutes in both states.
A spokesperson for the California Department of Public Health told Newsweek: "We do not comment on studies conducted by outside sources," referring Newsweek to the California Department of Healthcare Access and Information, as well as the California Emergency Medical Services Authority, for more information about emergency department wait times.
Rounding out the top 10 worst states to be injured in was Arizona, where patients were said to spend 179 minutes in the emergency room before being treated.
Newsweek has contacted the Maryland Department of Health, the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, the Connecticut Department of Public Health, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the New Jersey Department of Health, the California Department of Healthcare Access and Information, the California Emergency Medical Services Authority, the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association and Vermont's Green Mountain Care Board via email for comment, as well as the UVM (University of Vermont) Health Network and the Rhode Island Department of Health via an online form for comment.