No one likes to think about medical emergencies unless they have to. When they do occur, events unfold quickly and emotions run high—which is why it’s good to know in advance the best place to seek care.
The most important thing to remember: When a condition is life-threatening or limb-threatening, immediately call 911 or get to the nearest emergency room. If you are transported by ambulance, it may be possible to request to be taken to the emergency department of your choice.
While all Pennsylvania hospitals must offer a basic level of emergency services, all emergency departments are not the same. If you have a choice between several hospitals close to home, it may be beneficial to take some time to compare their emergency capabilities before you’re in a situation where you have to act fast.
The fact is, where you go first for emergency care matters. Here are some reasons why.
Time matters
Many serious or life-threatening emergencies have a window of time for achieving the best possible outcomes. It’s vitally important to be seen by an emergency team with the ability to assess your situation and provide timely and accurate intervention. That means trained experts who know how to recognize and treat conditions such as stroke, heart attack, severe allergic reactions, aneurysms, sepsis, pulmonary embolism, and traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries. You want to start at a facility that can quickly attend to your needs and not lose valuable time on incorrect assumptions or arranging a transfer of care.
Diagnostics matter
Timely and appropriate care is dependent on accurate information. You’ll want a facility equipped with state-of-the-art, on-site imaging technology for tests such as MRI and CT scans, laboratory access for fast and reliable results on blood and pathology studies, and reputable providers to interpret the results.
Surgical capabilities matter
In an emergency, you’ll not only want a facility with highly-equipped operating rooms (ORs), but suitable staffing as well. Will there be a general surgeon available at 2 am to perform an emergency appendectomy? What about specialists like a neurosurgeon for a brain bleed or a cardiovascular surgeon for emergency coronary artery bypass surgery? Surgical anesthesiologists, nurses, and technicians must be readily available as well.
Multidisciplinary consults matter
Sometimes the cause of a patient’s symptoms isn’t immediately obvious, or the patient doesn’t respond to treatment in the expected way. You’ll want an emergency team that’s able to rapidly determine any additional tests that may be needed, and has access to advanced care medicine providers they can bring in for consultation. This includes experts in neurology, cardiology, cancer, geriatrics, orthopaedics, obstetrics, and infectious diseases.
Continuity of care matters
When you start in an emergency department with full capabilities, you won’t need to be transferred to another facility for care. That means you’ll be stabilized, treated, and admitted (if necessary) in the same hospital. Depending on your condition, your doctor may connect you with other providers to help in your recovery and follow-up care. You’ll want a facility that offers comprehensive services such as physical, occupational and speech therapy for rehabilitation, cardiac rehab programs, oncology programs, social workers, nutritionists, and even support groups. An advantage of having your care coordinated through one hospital system is your medical history, test results, prescriptions, and physician notes will all be in your electronic medical record, giving everyone on your team access to the same real-time information.
As Lancaster County’s only Level 1 Trauma Center, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital meets the highest criteria for 24/7 emergency care, including direct access to top physicians in every specialty, exceptional surgeons, state-of-the-art technology, and certification by The Joint Commission as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center.