EMERGENCY TIPS

The staff at MCCH’s Emergency Department would like to express to our community how much we enjoy caring for you in your time of need. The Emergency Department staff strives to provide the highest quality care possible. To help us provide the best care, here are some tips on what to bring with you to the emergency room:

1.  Names of medications that you take
2.  Dosages of medications
3.  What times you take your medications
4.  A list of allergies
5.  A list of your medical history (current and past medical conditions, surgeries, etc.)
6. Your driver’s license or ID and your insurance cards.

We suggest keeping this list in your wallet so it will be with you at all times. We hope this information can help prepare you for an unexpected trip to the Emergency Room.

TRIAGE

Triage is the beginning of your medical treatment. When you arrive at the Emergency Department, a registered nurse will ask the reason for your visit, inquire about your medical history, and perform a brief exam. Triage is done to help determine the severity of your condition. Those patients with urgent conditions are treated first; therefore, someone who arrives after you might be taken in before you.

REGISTRATION

After the triage process is complete, you will be asked to register at the front desk. You may then be asked to wait in the Emergency Department waiting area for the next available treatment room. We understand your time is valuable and our goal is to provide quality care, patients with more serious conditions must be treated first. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. A staff member will keep you informed about any delays. If at any time during your wait your condition changes or worsens, please make the triage nurse aware and you will be re-evaluated.

TREATMENT

Once you have been taken to a treatment room, a physician, a physician’s assistant, or nurse practitioner will see you and evaluate your condition. In order for the physician to determine the cause of your illness, certain test may be required. These tests may include starting an IV, obtaining blood or urine samples, and taking x-rays. Please understand these tests are important for your care and may take time.

RE-EVALUATION

The Emergency Department physician will re-evaluate you after all tests are completed. Based on this re-evaluation you may be discharged, admitted to the hospital, or transferred to another facility. The physician may feel that it is necessary to contact your family physician or a specialist in order to make a decision. Extended waiting times often result from availability of hospital beds, or consultation with specialists.

DISCHARGE

When you are discharged from the Emergency Department, you will be given complete printed after-care instructions to follow at home. It is very important that you understand and follow these instructions. Most important, be sure to follow up with your private physician or the physician to whom you were referred.

MEDICATIONS

Murray-Calloway County Hospital (MCCH) has adopted a policy relating to the writing of narcotic and sedative medication prescriptions by the Emergency Department physicians. Because MCCH is increasingly concerned about the abuse of narcotics in our society, our hospital discourages use of narcotics except when absolutely necessary.

Thank you for choosing Murray Hospital for your emergency needs.