What to expect

Coming to the emergency room is a stressful experience. This information can help you prepare for your visit.

What to bring

Please bring the following items with you to help your care team provide for your needs:

• Photo ID
• Your health insurance card
• A list of medications and dosages you are taking
• Any recent test results related to your condition
• Contact information for your primary care and specialty care physicians
• Please leave and valuables at home. The hospital is not responsible for loss or damage to any personal property kept in your room

Registration

When you arrive at the Emergency Room, a patient access representative will check you in. They will ask the following questions:

• The name of the patient
• Gender
• Date of birth
• Mailing address
• Name of primary care doctor
• What symptoms you are having

A nurse will meet you in the waiting room to discuss your symptoms and reason for your visits. They will take your vital signs - blood pressure and heart rate. Some questions they will ask:

• What is your level of pain
  
• What medications you are taking
• What allergies you have
• Your medical history

After you have been seen by a doctor, an admitting specialist will collect your personal and insurance information.

How long will I wait?

We try to serve patients as soon as possible, while also treating the most threatening emergencies first. Emergency rooms use a process called triage to determine the order in which emergency room patients are seen. Triage prioritizes the people who are most injured or sick to receive care first. This improves the chances for successful outcomes of care. This means if a patient with a more serious condition comes to the emergency room, you might have wait longer to be seen by a physician.

Tests, treatment, and medications

We have the resources to conduct almost needed tests in the emergency room. Please plan on waiting for your results. The following time frames are provided as estimates only:

• Most blood-based lab tests require approximately 60-90 minutes for results reporting
• X-rays, ultrasound exams, and computed tomography (CT) scan studies vary from 15 minutes to several hours.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or special radiology studies may require several hours.

Discharge or hospital admission

Once you are treated by the emergency department a doctor makes a decision to discharge you or admit you to the hospital.

Discharge

If you are clear to return home, you will be discharged. When your doctor discharges you, you will review:

• Your medial diagnosis
• Prescribed medications, including side effects and where you prefer to pick up your prescriptions
• If a follow-up visit in necessary, they will refer you to your primary care doctor or a specialist for further care (Please note, this is not an appointment; you will need to contact the clinic to schedule your appointment).

Admission to the hospital

If you need additional medical care and support but are no longer in an emergency situation, you will be admitted to the hospital. Once admitted to the hospital, you will be transferred to a bed in the hospital. If a bed is not currently available, you will continue to be seen in the emergency room until a transfer can be made.

When you are admitted, you will be given additional information about the hospital and available services for you and your visitors.