Upon arrival, you will go to the registration desk. There, you will be asked some basic questions that will help us best determine how to help you.

Triage
Triage is the process the Emergency Department uses to prioritize patients according to the severity of their illness or injury. The process involves a brief clinical assessment by the triage nurse and your involvement in answering several questions. You then will be classified into one of the three categories that will determine when you will be seen by an emergency clinician.

Those categories are:

• Emergent – an injury or illness requiring immediate attention to avoid risk of life or limb
• Urgent – an injury or illness requiring attention within four hours
• Non-Urgent – an injury or illness that has an undetermined time frame for treatment

Please know that all patients are important to us, but priority must be given to Emergent or Urgent patients. However, in times when we have few patients, you may be immediately taken to an exam room.

If you feel that your condition has changed while you are waiting, please notify the triage nurse so that you may be reassessed.

When the triage nurse examines you, he or she may and can initiate treatment based upon established medical protocols related to your illness or injury, such as X-rays, collecting blood or urine samples and application of ice packs or wound dressing. The triage nurse cannot treat pain without a physicians order.

Medical Exam
Once you are placed in an exam room, a nurse physician or physician’s assistant will be assigned to care for you. Additional diagnostic lab work or testing also may be performed during this time.

Disposition
Once your testing is complete, a decision to either admit you to the hospital or discharge you will be made by your physician or physician’s assistant.

Discharge
If you are discharged, instructions for you care and follow-up with a physician will be provided.

Admission
If you are admitted to the hospital, a physician will be contacted to complete the admission process. Family and loved ones of patients who have been admitted will be given information on the condition of the patient and location of a nearby waiting area. If you require interventional cardiology, inpatient pediatric or behavioral health services, you will be transferred by ambulance to another facility that provides the specialized services required for your care.

We are committed to making your wait in the Emergency Department as brief as possible.

Please do not hesitate to ask questions of your nurse or physician. We will make every effort to keep you informed about your treatment plan.