At Parrish Medical Center, emergency care is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. PMC treats more than 40,000 patients per year. At PMC, you will be cared for by a highly skilled team of board-certified emergency medicine physicians, physician assistants, radiologists, nurses, nurse practitioners, technicians, and other support personnel who are trained to treat any type of emergency that may arise, from broken bones to life-threatening injuries or illnesses, such as heart attacks or strokes.

The Emergency Department is conveniently located at the front of the medical center and the Emergency Entrance is clearly marked on the front of the building with parking available nearby.

To help make your Emergency Department experience as efficient as possible please consider the following preparedness tips:

Emergency Department Preparedness

Before You Go:

If you have chronic diseases that sometimes require emergency treatment (asthma, diabetes, heart disease, etc.) when possible, it is best to go to an Emergency department that your private physicians or medical team are affiliated with. Your medical records and past medical history can be easily accessed, and the Emergency Department team will be able to treat you more efficiently and accurately and make better decisions regarding your health care. If you require admission, your physician will be on staff, and will be able to provide your inpatient care.

Triage Emergency Classifications

PMC caregivers strive to make every emergency visit a thorough and healing experience. Our goal is to see and treat each patient as quickly as possible. Due to the nature of the Emergency Department, patients are seen in order of the seriousness of their injury or illness - not on a first-come, first-served basis. Rendering lifesaving care to emergent (the critically ill or injured) patients is always given priority.

When you arrive, you will be triaged by an RN, who will determine the order in which you will be taken to the treatment area. Your medical condition will be classified as emergent, very urgent, urgent, semi-urgent and non-urgent depending the acuity of your illness or injury.

Wait Times

Because accidents and emergency visits are not planned, the number of patients who need care can be unpredictable. This can sometimes result in extended wait times.

We hope you understand that when it is your turn, we will take excellent care of you too. Peak hours of activity are from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., especially on weekends. Once you are in the treatment area, a provider will see you, and some diagnostic tests may be ordered. It may also be necessary for us to call your physician. These things take time, and can also cause delays, and increase wait time. Your patience is appreciated.

**Be sure to let someone know if your condition worsens while waiting for treatment. This may be a sign that your condition needs more immediate attention.

What to Bring:

• A folder containing past test results and any other information from your primary care physician or any specialists you may be seeing. This may also prevent you from having to again pay for tests you might have just recently had taken.
  
  
• Your most recent insurance card.
  
  
• A list of your current medications and dosages. This includes over-the-counter medications and vitamins.
  
  
• A list of your key contacts. This includes phone numbers for all doctors, your neighbors, friends, relatives and employers.
  
  
• A pad of paper and a pen. You should write down who gave you what and when they gave it to you. This will help you in the future to read any medical bills that will arrive after your visit. You can sometimes get business cards from doctors who see you during your visit.
  
  
• Bring some tissues, hand sanitizer and money for the vending machine or cafe to buy a snack or drink should you need one. Note: you should wait to eat or drink anything until after you have been seen by the Emergency team. Food or drink may adversely react with tests or medications that may be required for treatment.
  
  
• Having these items ready-to-go in a pre-packed bag will save you a lot of time and worry.
  
  

While You Wait:

• Make sure all medicines you receive are meant for you.
  
  
• Tell visitors to wash their hands. This will help prevent any unnecessary infections.
  
  
• Find out who will be handling your case. They will be able to help you with your medical insurance, find past test results and copies of bills.
  
  

When You Leave:

• Get discharge instructions in writing. These should include your Emergency Physician's name, diagnosis, treatment, medication and follow-up instructions.
  
  
• Make plans to have all of your test results, reports and itemized bills sent to you. You can do this by contacting Medical Records.
  
  
• Call your Primary Care Physician with any results received from the Emergency Department. Find out if you need further treatment or tests.
  
  

Discharge instructions

It is important to note that the Emergency Department is for acute illnesses or conditions. Some less urgent complaints may be addressed, but referred back to the primary physician to evaluate further. Also, note that all diagnoses and X-ray readings made by the Emergency Department physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants are preliminary. Upon being released you will be given a customized computer generated information sheet called "discharge instructions." As part of the discharge process, you will be referred to your family physician for follow-up. If you do not have a family physician, we will give you the name of a PMC on-call physician. If you have questions after being released or about your follow-up visit, please contact us at 268-6130.

Understanding your Emergency visit bill

Parrish Medical Center charges for the use of the emergency facility and for the services of hospital physicians and PA's. The hospital also charges for X-ray, laboratory and pharmacy services and for medical supplies. Depending on your condition, physician specialists, such as radiologists, orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, or pediatricians, may be called to consult on your case. All consultants, including radiologists, send a separate bill. If you have any billing questions or need financial assistance, please contact the business office at 268-6158.

Sources: Ellen McGirt, "How to Survive the E.R.," Money Magazine, December 2005.