Nine things to expect during a trip to the emergency room

When you arrive at the emergency room seeking care for yourself or a loved one, you are placing your trust in the care team to treat you like family. Our mission is to provide exceptional and compassionate care to every patient, every time. While every visit to the emergency room (ER) is unique, we hope this information will help you understand what to expect as a patient. Here are nine things to anticipate during a trip to the ER.

Visitor guidelines

Visitor guidelines are in place to protect patients, their families and emergency room personnel. In other words, to keep everyone safe. As such, these guidelines may be subject to change for a variety of reasons, including extreme weather events or a pandemic.

When you arrive

When you arrive at the ER, a member of our care team will evaluate your illness or injury and ask questions to get a better idea of your condition. This is called triage and will allow us to better care for you and start your treatment plan right away. 

We appreciate your patience during this time and throughout your visit. While we try to see patients in the order they arrive, patients who arrive after you may be placed in a treatment room first, based on the severity of their illness.

At times, patients may be asked to return to the emergency room lobby, where a member of our care team will recheck you and keep you updated about the next steps. Always tell our staff if there is a change in how you are feeling.

Please check with your care team before:

• Eating or drinking
• Using the restroom (a urine sample may be needed for testing)

Registration

Registration can occur either at the beginning or near the end of your emergency room visit. A member of our registration team will come to speak with you. They will ask for your insurance information and identification while ensuring your privacy.

ER wait times

A visit to the ER can often take several hours. We know that your time is valuable, and we will make every effort to examine, treat and discharge you as quickly as possible. Our focus is to keep you safe and comfortable.

Here are just a few of the reasons that your visit may take longer than anticipated:

• Numerous patients may arrive at the same time
• Patients may be arriving at the ambulance entrance, which cannot be seen from the lobby
• All exam areas may be occupied by patients undergoing medical treatment
• Many medical tests take over an hour to process and receive results
• Your ER physician may seek consultation from a specialist, depending on your illness or injury

Your medical screening and treatment plan

You can feel confident knowing that our physicians and nurses are specialists in emergency medicine. During your visit, you will receive a medical screening exam from a physician, physician assistant (PA), or advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP). This exam will include a review of your vital signs and medical history.

After your exam, you may need blood work, X-rays, CT scans or other medical tests to guide your treatment. Your medical team will work together to keep you updated with the expected wait times.

You will be escorted to a treatment area based on your screening exam. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask a member of your care team. 

Once all your test results are completed, your provider will review them, determine a diagnosis, and discuss the best care plan for you.

Pain management

We are proud to promote safety and battle the opioid crisis within our community. For the safety of our patients, we will follow the common practices below:

• Oral pain medication is offered first, before intravenous opioids.
• Chronic pain episodes are addressed with non-opioid medications and other non-medication treatments. You may be referred to a pain specialist to help manage your pain.
• The emergency room does not fill prescriptions for patients who run out of pain medication.

Testing

All X-rays and CT scans are read by a board-certified radiologist. You can access the details of your visit and test results in the MyHealthONE patient portal.

Discharge and follow-up

If you are being discharged from the emergency room (as opposed to being admitted to the hospital), your nurse will provide you with follow-up instructions and any prescriptions you may need to have filled. The nurse will explain these materials and answer any questions you may have about your care or treatment. The nurse will also remove any IVs that may have been placed during your stay. Please be patient as this process may take some time.

If you have questions during your ER visit, your care team is happy to answer them throughout your stay.