Emergency Services (original) (raw)

Emergency Department

The College Station Medical Center’s Emergency Department (ED) offers 24-hour emergency services staffed by medical professionals with experience in emergency medicine.

Because patients with the greatest need must receive immediate care, all patients are first seen by a registered nurse assesses and prioritizes patients on the basis of need and not on the order of arrival.

Our doctors specialize in emergency medicine, caring for patients with acute illnesses or injuries which require immediate medical attention. Once the emergency situation is resolved, we recommend you follow up with your primary care doctor to reassess your overall health.

A primary care doctor enhances your overall long-term health by managing your care over an extended period of time, called continuity of care. If non-urgent conditions are treated routinely in the ED, your primary care doctor may not have all the necessary information to ensure your continuity of care.

The 30-Minutes-Or-Less ED Service Pledge at College Station Medical Center

What exactly is the 30-Minutes-or-Less ED Service Pledge? When patients check in at the College Station Medical Center ED, the time of their arrival will be noted. Our pledge is that a doctor will work diligently to have our patients initially seen within 30 minutes of their noted arrival.

Does this mean patients will be on their way home in 30 minutes or less? No. We will work hard to have a doctor initially see our patients and begin their evaluation and treatment within 30 minutes of their noted arrival. Depending on the nature of their illness or injury and the unpredictable volume of patients requiring emergency care at any given time, the wait time and duration of each visit will vary.

Is a 30-Minutes-or-Less ED Service Pledge really necessary for an emergency room? In many emergency rooms across the country, wait times have been increasing. We want to assure our patients that we are dedicated to not only offering quality care but also to working diligently to provide that care as efficiently as possible.

Does the 30-Minutes-or-Less ED Service Pledge affect how patients are prioritized? While the goal is to initially see every patient within 30 minutes of their noted arrival, the most severe cases will always receive immediate attention.

How can the ED maintain quality care if speed is the priority? It is not our objective now, nor will it ever be, to “rush” patients through the ED. Our process improvements have been focused on getting patients into a room as quickly as possible and enabling the doctor to initially see a patient and begin their diagnosis and treatment in a timely manner.

Is the 30-Minutes-or-Less ED Service Pledge in effect at all times and does it apply to all ages—infants to senior citizens? Yes.

Do I have to wait up to 30 minutes for someone to say, "May I help you?" Absolutely not. ED staff will greet you as soon as you come in, and a nurse will assess your condition through a triage process. We know your time is valuable and we pledge to work diligently to have a doctor initially see you within 30 minutes of your noted arrival.

Disclaimer

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 9-1-1.

The ED average wait time is provided as an informational service to the public. It is approximate, and based on a rolling two hour average that is updated four times an hour and does not represent the actual current activity in the ED waiting room.

The ED wait time represents the time it takes from arrival until a patient is initially seen by a doctor. Patients are triaged upon their arrival in the ED. They are then seen by a doctor in an order based on their complaint, condition and the reason for their visit.

While many patients are initially seen by a doctor within 30 minutes of their arrival, during some peak times when the number of patients exceeds the number of providers or beds, some patients are not initially seen within 30 minutes of their noted arrival.

Should you have any additional questions about the 30-Minutes-or-Less ED Service Pledge, please ask any of our ED staff.