Emergency Department – Here to help 24/7
Fast | Efficient | Caring
Emergency rooms are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for injuries or illnesses that pose a threat to someone’s life or long-term health. If you have a medical emergency, you’ll be treated in the emergency room whether you have health insurance or not. Our team will quickly look at the patient’s health status and condition to create a plan for treatment. If you or someone you know have a serious injury or medical problem, call 911 for help.
Common Emergency Ailments
- Severe Pain
- Violent Injury
- Heavy Bleeding
- Chest Pain
- Signs of Stroke (like weakness on one side of the body)
- Trouble Breathing
- Sudden Confusion
- Coughing or throwing up blood
- Facial drooping
- Speech Problems
- Weakness in arms and legs
- Head injuries
- Deep cuts
- Severe burns
- Suspected broken bones
- Stomach pain
- Thoughts of hurting yourself or others
- Fainting
- Poisoning
- Issues from violence/sexual assault
- Serious Asthma, heart, or lung problems
- Severe allergic reactions
- Any sudden or strong symptoms
Timing of Service
We do our best to see everyone as quickly as we can. We prioritize care based on how serious the injury is. Here are some reasons why you might wait longer:
- There are many patients, some of whom are very sick
- Your care team needs time to discuss results and make a treatment plan
- Test results may take time, depending on what’s needed (like blood tests or X-rays)
- Lab: 1 to 2 hours from collection
- X-Ray: 1 to 2 hours upon exam completion
- MRI: 4 to 6 hours upon exam completion
- CT Scan: 3 to 4 hours upon exam completion
TeleHealth Services
When you visit our Emergency Department, we can use TeleHealth technology. This means we can connect with some specialists from Dartmouth Health, day or night, to provide you with the best care.
Medical Helicopter Pad
If someone needs urgent specialty care, our team can stabilize them for helicopter transport. We have a landing pad right here for quick and safe transport, which can be very important in serious situations.
Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Program
For patients who have experienced sexual assault, we provide:
- Thorough exams to assess injuries and start healing
- Caring and supportive treatment
- A specially trained female nurse to help you
- Professional help to gather evidence
- Counseling and follow-up support
- Advocates are available for help
This program is important because many people face sexual assault in their lifetime. We are here to help with the emotional and physical challenges you may face.
Geriatric Emergency Department Program
This program is designed for older adults (64 years +) and offers:
- Better care and experience
- Special assessments for older patients
- More training for our staff
- Connections to community resources
What to know about the Emergency Department
Our Emergency Department has special sliding glass doors that help reduce noise and keep your information private. We have:
- Two rooms for quick check-ups
- Nine treatment rooms
- One room for mental health care
- Two rooms for serious emergencies, including one for newborns
- A special area for cleaning up after hazardous situations
We are dedicated to giving you the best care possible. If your symptoms change or you have questions, please let us know. If you need help making decisions, ask to speak with a social worker.
Remember, we’re here to help you any time you need us!