Overcrowded emergency rooms are one of the biggest problems hospitals face across the country and in some cases the most critical patients aren't getting care. NBC Augusta found out how University Hospital deals with the problem.

Like most, University Hospital's Emergency Room can get overcrowded. On average more than 190 patients pack out their ER every day.

“We get to a situation where the number of patients is such that every room is filled. We try to accommodate patients in stretchers in the hallway and provide the care but that's not the optimal way to provide care,” said Bob Kepshire, University Hospital's ER Director.

Kepshire says that care could take up to five hours to get and cost hundreds of dollars in medical bills. As a last resort, too many patients can force an ER to go on divert status, meaning a hospital is forced to send patients to other hospitals.

“We don't like to go on that status. We try to minimize it when we do. We reevaluate it every 30 minutes to see if we can come off of it,” said Kepshire.

Part of the delay includes paperwork and determining which patients need immediate care. Kepshire says only patients with the most serious problems, like chest pains, need to visit the emergency room.

“Folks come to the emergency room for a prescription refill, the best place to do that is go the physician that wrote it,” said Kepshire.

So he recommends patients see their primary care physician especially if they have an ongoing condition, visit community clinics for care instead of the ER and if possible take proper precautions at home for things like colds and flu.

“If you come in with chest pains and we have rooms available we are going to get you in the back. We will find somewhere to put you,” said Kepshire.