Know what to expect! Click on each item below to get a step-by-step explanation of your stay in the ER.
Emergency rooms utilize a triage system that helps prioritize patients based on the severity and urgency of their conditions. When you enter the emergency room, a nurse will initiate this process by performing an assessment and obtaining your vital signs such as your temperature, breathing, heart rate and blood pressure. While we make every effort to place our patients into a bed, there are times that this is not possible. Although the physical location of your care may not be at the bedside, please be assured that you will still receive the same high level of care.
A provider, assigned to your care, may recommend tests (urine samples, blood work, imaging etc.) to help diagnose your condition and determine what treatment plan is the most appropriate for you. Following your evaluation, you may experience some waiting as these tests are being processed. We will continue to monitor you during this time and will make every effort to communicate any updates as they are made available.
If you experience any changes in your condition, please notify a nurse (blue scrubs) immediately.
A registration clerk will visit you to confirm details such as your address, phone, insurance, and primary care doctor.
This will be tailored according to your needs and clinical picture. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your treatment plan, please ask questions or let your care team know that additional information is needed for you to feel more comfortable.
Following treatment, you may be discharged to go home. If so, you will be provided with discharge instructions with any appropriate prescriptions you may need. For more serious conditions, you may be admitted to an inpatient unit in the hospital or transferred to another hospital for additional care.
Call don't fall
Please use the call light for assistance out of bed to prevent falls.
Dietary restrictions
You may be asked to avoid food or drink while in the ER. Nausea and vomiting may be exacerbated with medications or procedures. This will prevent any interruptions in testing or procedures that require the patient to fast (i.e., be without food and water/drink).
Uniform colors
Patient portal
CAMC’s patient portal, PatientLink, is a secure online platform providing patients with 24-hour access to personal health information such as medical records, recent doctor visits, medications, immunizations, allergies and lab results.