Emergency Services
Our board certified physicians and specially trained nurses will provide you with quality and compassionate care and respect.The staff in the Emergency Department (ED) understands
that for patients and their loved ones, every illness/injury is an emergency. We care for more than 38,000 people each year with the goal of giving patients the best possible care with rapid diagnosis and treatment. However, we treat the most critical patients first.
Things to know when coming to the ED
• Have a list of, or know about your
medical history;
• Bring a list of medications you are taking;
• Know your allergies;
• When was your last tetanus shot?
• Females, when was your last menstrual
period?
• Do not eat or drink anything before the
doctor examines you;
• Know that the ED staff cannot give out any
information over the phone.
What will happen while I am at the Emergency Department?
Upon arrival a triage nurse will see you and determine the seriousness of your illness. You
will be placed into the department based on your level of urgency. This could mean that you will
be taken to an urgent treatment area, taken into the Fast Track area or asked to wait until an
appropriate room is available to meet your needs. Others with more emergent needs will
be treated first.
If treatment is urgently needed, you will be taken to an exam room, where a physician or other health care professional, under the guidance of the physician, will examine and treat you.
New standards of care recommend more extensive testing to treat all disease processes that may be present. You may receive a complete diagnostic work up which may include CT scan, MRI and blood work. You may be admitted to the hospital for surgery or other care.
If you are discharged from the emergency department, you may be given medication, a
prescription to fill at a pharmacy and instructions on how to care for yourself or a loved one when you are home. Instructions may include a referral to your own physician or to a specialist for
follow-up care.
During your visit, the hospital staff will also take payment information, including insurance,
as well as medical information related to your condition. Please have your insurance cards and photo identification ready when you go to registration. If you do not have insurance, the hospital staff can discuss payment options with you, including insurance or social service programs
for which you may qualify.
AKMC Fast Track
At AKMC, we want our emergency patients to spend less time waiting and more time receiving care. Treating non-critical patients quickly means the Emergency Room is better prepared for truly emergent cases when they arrive. For this reason, we have a “Fast Track” with several treatment areas located near our Emergency Department. In this area, emergency physicians and registered nurses will see patients with simple injuries or illnesses that can be handled quickly with minimal testing and treatment.
Fast Track Hours: 3-10 p.m. DAILY
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: What is Triage
A: Triage means to sort or prioritize. When you arrive in the ED usually your first stop will be the triage nurse. The Triage Nurse is an R.N. who has been specially trained to perform a quick assessment of the seriousness of your injury or illness. He/she will ask you why you came to the ED; what medical problems you have; what medications are you taking; and if you are allergic to anything.
The triage nurse will also take your vital signs (temperature, heart rate, blood pressure,
respiration’s pulse oximeter which tells how much oxygen your lungs are getting into your blood stream) and, when indicated your weight. After the assessment the triage nurse will assign you
to a Triage Category, which is what we use to determine which patients need to be seen first.
There are three Triage Categories:
Non-Emergent: Your injury or illness is not life threatening and you could wait to be treated safely without the risk of your condition becoming worse.
Urgent: You can safely wait for 2-4 hours for treatment, but you need to be seen.
Emergent: You have a life threatening injury or illness and must be treated immediately or you may be at risk of losing life or limb.
Usually after the triage nurse sees you, you are placed directly into a room. Because we have
different rooms equipped to handle different types of illnesses and injuries, you may be asked to have a seat in the waiting area until an appropriate room is available.
If you must wait in the waiting area, please understand that the triage nurse is keeping
track of you and will get you placed in a room as soon as possible. If you have chest pain, or
any change in your condition, tell the triage nurse immediately!!!
Q: How long will it take for me to be seen?
A: This is difficult to answer; the sickest patients must be seen first, and sometimes care and
evaluation takes longer than expected. Please be aware that unforeseen circumstances such as ambulances arriving and emergent patients may cause your wait to be longer than expected.
Q: Why did someone who came in after me get to see a doctor before me?
A: In the ED, the sickest patients must be seen first. Someone may be assessed to be sicker than you are and therefore seen before you. Also each room has specialized equipment. If the room that is needed to care for you is still occupied by a patient, you may have to wait for them to leave before you can be placed in that room.
Q: Why does it take so long to see the Emergency Room doctor?
A: An ambulance may arrive with a very sick patient or an emergency may happen to a
hospital patient that requires the emergency department staff to assist. Your cooperation
and understanding is appreciated.
Q: Why is it taking so long for my lab x-rays results?
A: The tests are done on a priority basis, a patient whose illness or injury is worse than yours maybe have their lab tests or x-rays done sooner. Also some tests can take up to an hour
or two for the results.
Q: Why do I have to answer so many questions when the hospital has all my records?
A: The ED keeps a copy of your chart from your last ED visit for thirty days. The rest of your medical records are not kept in the ED and can take a few minutes to access. In that time, we may have already started to evaluate and treat you. Also there could be changes in your medication, or medical history since the last time you were here, and it is safer for you if we ask you if there have been any changes.
Q: What should I do in a medical emergency?
A: If possible, you should first contact your primary care physician. Your physician can help you determine if there is a medical emergency and what would be the best action for you to take. If you are unable to contact your physician or feel your health is threatened without immediate attention, call 911 for an ambulance or go directly to an emergency department.
We apologize, but due to confidentially and liability reasons we cannot help you or any family member over the phone. We can only advise you to call your physician; or come to the ED if you think it is an emergency. Privacy and confidentiality regulations do not permit the ED staff to
provide family members or friends information about patients or their status in the department.
If you believe you are having
a true emergency
Call: 911
Useful Phone Numbers
Alle-Kiski Medical Center
724-224-5100
X-ray
724-226-7326
Medical Records
724-226-7095
Insurance & Billing
724-226-7073
Poison Control
1-800-222-1222
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Last Updated: December 19, 2007
Call 1-877-284-2000 for more information.
