Essentia Health Sandstone
Owned by Essentia Health
Sandstone, Minnesota • Hospital ID 241309
How does this emergency room compare?
1h 47m
Typical Emergency Room (ER) wait time
Ranked #23 of 121 Minnesota hospitals for speed
Faster than 80% of Minnesota hospitals
Strength: Faster ER waits than Minnesota average
Faster emergency rooms nearby
Other Minnesota hospitals where patients typically wait less time:
- Mille Lacs Health System 46 min
- Cass Lake Indian Health Services Hospital 1h 3m
- Red Lake Hospital 1h 18m
- Riverview Hospital 1h 26m
- Essentia Health Deer River 1h 26m
What you need to know
Emergency Room (ER) wait time
1h 47m
✓ 22m faster than Minnesota average
Minnesota average: 2h 9m
Ranked #23 of 121
Minnesota hospitals for ER speed
Faster than 80% of Minnesota hospitals
To see how this compares across the country, view the
ER waits by state report or the
fastest ER hospitals report.
Patient safety record
Safety data not available
How we rate hospitals
We compare each hospital only to others in Minnesota. This keeps comparisons fair since different regions face different challenges—rural vs urban, teaching vs community hospitals, etc.
Better than average
Top third of Minnesota hospitals
Top third of Minnesota hospitals
About average
Middle third of Minnesota hospitals
Middle third of Minnesota hospitals
Below average
Bottom third of Minnesota hospitals
Bottom third of Minnesota hospitals
Understanding the terms
ER wait time (OP-18b): The official national measure of emergency room wait times—time from arrival until you see a doctor or nurse. Also called ED (Emergency Department) wait time.
Readmissions: When patients need to return to the hospital within 30 days of being discharged. Lower numbers are better.
Complications: Problems that happen during or after medical procedures, measured per 1,000 procedures. Lower numbers are better.
Patient satisfaction: How patients rate their overall experience on surveys conducted by CMS. Higher scores are better.
When to prioritize speed vs safety
Life-threatening: Go to the closest ER
- Severe chest pain or trouble breathing
- Heavy bleeding or major injuries
- Stroke symptoms or seizures
- Severe allergic reactions
Call 911 or go to the nearest hospital immediately.
Urgent but stable: Consider wait times
- Possible broken bones
- High fever or severe pain
- Deep cuts needing stitches
- Bad sprains or sports injuries
Compare nearby hospitals for faster care.
Data sources: Official federal datasets from CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services). Updated monthly. This information is for educational purposes and should not replace medical advice.
Questions about this data? Learn how we calculate these scores or report an error.