Emergency Department Visit

What to expect step-by-step:

1. Triage
   Upon arrival, a registered nurse will ask the reason for your visit and take your medical history.  After a brief exam, "triage" is done to determine the degree of illness and to assure that the most critical patients are seen first by a physician - medications are generally not dispensed during triage.
   Based on triage guidelines, some patients may need to wait, while other patients are "fast-tracked" based on critical nature of their illness.  In some cases, the need of a special room or piece of equipment may excelerate or delay a patient's wait.
   
2. Registration
   During registration the Emergency Department staff will begin creating your chart.  Patients will be asked to provide all necessary information, such as name, address, and birth date. 
   
3. Treatment
   Once brought into the treatment area, you will be asked to change into a treatment gown for your examination.  You will be seen initially by a physician, physician assistant, or nurse.  If necessary, a nurse may start an IV, take blood or urine samples, or send you to get an x-ray.  Your evaluation in the Emergency Department usually takes approximately three hours, though it may take longer if specialized diagnostic tests are necessary.
   Because the treatment area has limited space, friends and relatives my be asked to remain in the reception area unless their presence is absolutely necessary to the patient's care.  Limiting visitors in the treatment area helps preserve the privacy of other patients.  After the physician has completed their exam, one family member or friend may be allowed to stay with the patient.  If the patient is a child, both parents may stay with the patient.  It is very important within the treatment area, that any visitors stay at the patient's bedside.
   
4. Re-evaluation
   Once all tests are complete and have by reviewed by the physician, your condition will be re-evaluated.  Based on the physician's assessment, you may be discharged, or admitted to the hospital.  If admitted, your primary care physician will be contacted to help with the decision to admit.  If you do not currently have a primary care physician, one will be assigned to you from a list of on-call specialists.
   
5. Discharge
   The last stage of your Emergency Department visit is discharge.  At this time you will be given written aftercare instructions to follow at home.  It is very important that you understand and follow these instructions.  Most importantly, be sure to follow-up with your primary care physician.  If you do not have a primary care physician, the name of a referred physician, their phone number, and instructions for a follow-up appointment will be provided.

We understand that no one wants to be a patient in the Emergency Department, that they may be upset and frightened by their illness or injury, but our highly trained staff is here to make sure you recieve high quality, compassionate medical care.