Upon Arrival to the ED

What to expect

Upon arrival, all visitors are screened by security. We do this for the safety of all patients and providers in the department.

Here, registration personnel will collect your personal information and reason for your visit.

Next, you will meet a triage nurse who will gather information about your symptoms and take your vital signs. Based on the conversation with your nurse, your medical history, and your current condition, you will be assigned a priority/severity level. Patients are seen based on severity, not always on arrival time. Wait times can vary based on patient volume and throughput through the hospital system.

Most patients will then be moved to our Rapid Medical Evaluation (RME) area.

During your RME, you will have an initial assessment completed by a physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner.

With emergency visits at an all-time high, most EDs across the country do not have the capacity to place every patient in a permanent room. RME allows us to get your evaluation started promptly in a temporary intake room, including lab testing and imaging while you are waiting.

If, during your medical screening exam, there is a concern for critical illness requiring emergent intervention, you may be taken directly to a private room. Otherwise, you may be taken back to the waiting room or to one of our other care areas while you wait for your results. Please understand that we are not allowing people to “skip the line” but instead, we are treating patients first by severity of their illness, then by wait times.

While you wait, a lot of behind-the-scenes work is being completed on your behalf, including lab analysis, image completion, and consultation with specialists. When necessary, we may review your results with you in a private space and make a discharge plan with you. On these days, our main beds are likely filled with critically ill patients, and we unfortunately are unable to offer you a private waiting area while waiting for completion of your testing. Rest assured that the same quality of medical assessment and testing is being completed regardless of the location.

Average care times for complex patients can be five (5) to six (6) hours. Our goal is to minimize wait times while prioritizing critically ill patients. Unfortunately, extended wait times may also occur when we have unexpected medical emergencies. While we can complete a large amount of testing in one visit, it may take several hours for the results to return and for us to finalize a medical care plan. We will do our best to keep you updated about any unexpected delays.