Emergency Medicine

Memorial Hospital and Manor’s Emergency Department provides Level II emergency services 24-hours a day, seven days a week. The Emergency Department (ED) meets the standards of the DNV for hospitals in providing adequate medical and nursing staffing, availability of medical specialty consultation, and availability and range of laboratory, radiology, surgical support, and ancillary services that are required for a Level II Emergency Department. The Emergency Department is the central hospital resource and medical control facility for the Decatur County EMS that operates with basic EMT’s and Paramedics.

The Emergency Department is responsible for the immediate recognition, evaluation, treatment/stabilization, and disposition of patients in response to any medical or surgical emergency. The level of care available ranges from the continuation or initiation of advanced life support measures to the assessment and treatment of minor illnesses and injuries to acute exacerbations of chronic medical conditions.

The ED medical staff consists of several full-time and part-time physicians who are independent contractors and fully credentialed members of the Memorial Hospital and Manor Medical Staff with delineated privileges in emergency medicine. A full-time ED physician serves as the Emergency Department Medical Director. An ED Nurse Manager who is a Registered Nurse supervises the ED nursing staff which consists of Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, and Paramedics that provide coverage through 12-hour shift rotations. Staffing is such that there are at least two to three RN’s on duty at all times. The ED also utilizes tele-neuro and tele-health services. Memorial Hospital’s stroke program excels with the implementation of TeleStroke, which provides patients 24/7/365 emergency access to board-certified neurologists. Patients arriving at the hospital are met with a neurologist on-screen within an average of three minutes of a consult request so treatment can begin immediately. We also partner with Turning Point, Behavior Health Specialists, who evaluate patients for qualification for inpatient or outpatient needs and helps place patients in appropriate programs.

On occasion, patients are transferred to other health care facilities in accordance with the hospital transfer policy along with state and federal regulations if they require services beyond the capabilities of Memorial Hospital, or if they request such transfer.

Types of Procedures and Services Provided:

  • Treatment of life-threatening illnesses and injuries
  • Cardiac monitoring and stabilization
  • Defibrillation and/or pacing on cardiac/respiratory arrest
  • All patients are triaged by an ED nurse and evaluated by the ED physician (or the patient’s private physician privileged by Memorial Hospital and Manor) to determine the type and extent of care to be provided to the patient. In the event the patient requires care the ED is unable to provide, the patient shall be transferred to a facility able to provide the required care. The physician shall make the necessary arrangements for transfer.
  • The Emergency Department does not provide for psychiatric care. Those patients admitted to the ED with a medical emergency or illness related to an underlying psychiatric diagnosis shall be treated in the ED until they are medically stable, at which time they may be transferred to a psychiatric facility.
  • Minor illnesses and injuries are treated in an emergency.

 

For a brief summary of our Emergency Department processes and what to expect during your visit, please click here.

 

When to Call an Ambulance (911)

An ambulance should be called if you:

  • Need emergency care right away and you are alone
  • Have severe bleeding or blood loss
  • Are having a lot of trouble breathing
  • May have injured your neck or spinal cord
  • Have severe chest pain along with sweating, shortness of breath, spreading pain, nausea, vomiting, dizziness or a fast or irregular heartbeat.

Common Questions: