Feeling a little under the weather? Depending on the seriousness of your malady, you may want to weigh some at-home care options... because if you go to a New York hospital, you're going to be waiting a while.

An analysis by Becker's Hospital Review ranked all 50 states according to how much time a person is likely to spend in the ER waiting room. And New York definitely has some room for improvement.

New York ranked #5 in the nation for the longest hospital waiting times. According to their data, the average person will spend 184 minutes waiting for care.

Maryland was #1, with an average ER wait time of 228 minutes. And you'll be seen the quickest in North Dakota, with an average wait time of 104 minutes.

HEALTHCARE WORKERS SPREAD THIN

Healthcare work is certainly no walk in the park, and many New York hospitals have been dealing with staff shortages. The COVID-19 pandemic pushed many doctors and nurses to the brink as they worked around the clock, sometimes 7 days a week.

Add to that the rising cost of medicine and equipment, and it's no mystery why most New York hospitals are struggling to keep up.

Speaking on the matter, a spokesman for Gov. Kathy Hochul said:

Gov. Hochul is committed to replenishing New York’s healthcare workforce and building the healthcare system of tomorrow, which is evidenced by the historic five-year $20 billion investment she secured for this purpose in this year’s state budget... Gov. Hochul looks forward to working with the legislature to address many of the challenges described in this survey and ensuring that all New Yorkers have access to high quality healthcare throughout our state.

Perhaps the best way to not tax the strained industry even further is to take better care of ourselves. Here's hoping for a healthy 2023.