Your Emergency, Our Specialty
Be seen by a Board-Certified Emergency Physician and Certified Emergency Nurses quicker than you thought possible, 24/7/365. At SMH, the best emergency professionals in the business will be taking care of you. Our emergency nursing staff is comprised of 100% registered nurses, many with advanced certifications. And, since SMH is a full-service hospital, we can handle your emergency and all of the care you will receive in our hospital should you need to be admitted.. Emergency Services Department at SMH has treated more patients than all other health care facilities in our area combined. This 14-bed unit is newly equipped with a state-of-the-art tracking system and preparing to go live this fall with electronic patient medical records.
We have implemented an initiative to immediately place ambulatory patients in a room following rapid triage,where they are seen by a physician and nurse team to move patients through the Emergency Room efficiently.
The ED also benefits from expertise and operational support through collaboration with TeamHealth,a nationally recognized administrative healthcare management company,in keeping with the hospital's commitment to high levels of satisfaction of all emergency department customers. There simply is no substitute for experience and expertise when life's emergencies present.
We offer:
* 24-hour Triage coverage
* A full-service hospital with access to all specialties
* 24-hour on call Cath Lab
Our goal is to identify the problem,treat and stabilize the patient,and meet the needs of the family. This is your hospital,it is your ER,for life.
Here is what you can expect:
Registration
A triage nurse will assess your situation,ask for a brief medical history,check your vital signs and help you through the registration process. For your convenience,if an exam room is available,a registration clerk will gather this information at your bedside. If a room is not available and your emergency is not life-threatening,you may be asked to remain in the reception area until a room is ready for you.
Patient Responsibilities
We encourage you to provide honest and complete answers to our questions even if doing so may cause discomfort. What you tell us or don't tell us can greatly impact the outcome of your visit. Please also keep us informed if you experience changes in your physical health while here.
Medical Examination
While in the exam room,the nurse and physician will carefully examine you to determine your diagnosis and treatment. This process takes about 20 to 25 minutes.
Testing and Test Results
The physician will order any tests deemed necessary through our operational support staff,who will contact the appropriate departments (i.e.,lab,x-ray,CT.) The physician will return and discuss your test results with you. Depending on the results,you may be discharged or admitted to the hospital for further testing or treatment. If the latter is determined,be assured that you will be transferred from skilled,caring hands in the Emergency Department to other capable hands in our full-service hospital.