Our Emergency Department provides 24-hour physician coverage with access
to emergency helicopter transportation. We treat approximately 35,000
patients each year. Our hospital includes an accredited Level IV Area
Trauma Care Facility and an Air Evac Lifeteam Base (air ambulance services)
located in the Parking Lot for advanced emergency health care and rapid
medical transport. We also offer a private consultation room for families
dealing with grief over a loved one in trauma or in a life-threatening
situation. There is a holding room for those patients who require extended
observation with all the comforts of a normal patient room.
Our Staff
Our highly qualified staff is on duty 24/7, and includes:
Board-certified emergency physicians
Trauma-certified emergency nurses who also are trained in advanced cardiac
life support and pediatric advanced life support
Specially trained emergency department physician assistants
Emergency department technicians and paramedics
Registration and clerical staff
Understanding Triage
You will be greeted by a triage specialist who is a nurse trained to determine
the seriousness of your injury or illness. They will create a treatment
priority list by comparing the conditions of all patients in the waiting
area and ensures that patients who have life- or limb-threatening conditions
receive emergency care first.
How long does it take?
Unlike scheduled physician appointments, Emergency Department visits are
not planned, so your waiting time may be longer than anticipated. The
time you spend in the Emergency Department depends on the severity of
your illness or injury, and how busy the department is.
If the emergency medicine provider decides that you should be admitted
to the hospital, please plan to be in the Emergency Department for at
least 3 hours before being transferred to an inpatient unit. If you are
treated for a less serious illness or injury, you can expect your visit
to last less than two hours.
Going Home from the ER
If you are not admitted, your health care provider will give you home-care
instructions. We want you to have all the information you need about your
illness or injury, so please ask questions before you leave. If you think
your illness or injury is not improving within 24 hours, or if you feel
worse, please return to the Emergency Department, or call your primary-care
provider or the specialist to whom you have been referred.
Should I Go to the ER or Call an Ambulance?
Ask yourself the following questions, and if the answer is “yes”
or you’re unsure, call
911:
Is the condition life-threatening?
Is it a possible heart attack?
Are they experiencing symptoms of a stroke?
Could the condition worsen and become life-threatening on the way to the hospital?
Could moving cause further injury?
Does the person need the skills/equipment of paramedics or emergency medical
technicians?
Could distance or weather conditions cause a delay in getting to the hospital?
Even if you think you can get to the hospital faster by driving, paramedics
can bring many of the lifesaving skills and medications right to you and
start care sooner. Emergency crews are trained to begin medical treatment
on the way to the hospital, and they can also alert the Emergency Department
in advance to the patient’s condition.
Not all illnesses or injuries are life-threatening and are better suited
to be treated at an urgent care or a primary care clinic. Urgent care
provides treatment when you are sick with sudden illnesses like the flu,
sore throat, earache, mononucleosis, minor cuts, suspected fractures,
and many other non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries. The urgent
care clinic at Great River Health is a walk-in clinic for patients over
the age of 18 months who don’t have a primary care provider or need
extended office hours. We can help patients get follow-up care at a primary
care clinic.
If you have any questions or concerns about any aspects of your care, please
call the Emergency Department director at
319-768-4743.
Emergency MedicineView Profile
