Emergency Care

Emergency Care

When a medical emergency strikes there is no margin for error. Seconds can often mean a difference between life and death.

Wickenburg Community Hospital Level IV Trauma Center provides around-the-clock emergency care with a highly trained, skilled, and professional emergency response team of physicians, nurses, and ER specialists who are ready to respond to any medical emergency. View our Awards & Recognition.

Community Tips & Information

About Us

Our 8-bed Emergency Room department is fully staffed with emergency physicians, nurses, and ER specialists. Your wait time is measured in minutes not hours as in the larger metropolitan hospitals. We are diligent in providing care for every patient regardless of ability to pay.

Adults and children are cared for by experienced physicians and nurses certified in both Adult and Pediatric Advanced Cardiac Life Support. Emergency technicians and members of other specialty areas are also part of the Emergency Response Team.

The ambulance entrance is located west of the South Main Entrance off Rose Lane, while non-ambulance patients can enter through the South Main Entrance off Rose Lane. The department also features a helipad for emergency air transport.

Wickenburg Community Hospital is a partner with Teledoc with Barrow Neurological Institute. Collaboration with Barrow Neurological Institute neurologists and our Emergency Department physicians offers immediate, life-saving interventions.

Comprehensive Medical and Diagnostic Services include state-of-the-art technology:

  • Toshiba CT Scanner – 128 detectors
  • Siemens MRI 1.5 Tesla
  • Hologic Full Field Digital Mammography with CAD Quantra
  • Breast Sonography
  • Interventional Radiology
  • Digital Radiology
  • Digital Fluoroscopy
  • Vascular Sonography
  • General Sonography
  • DEXA

Visiting the ER

When to Visit the Emergency Department

IF YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY PLEASE CALL 911

The American College of Emergency Physicians offers these warning signs that may indicate a medical emergency and signal you should proceed to the nearest Emergency Department:

  • Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath
  • Chest or upper abdominal pain or pressure
  • Fainting, sudden dizziness, weakness
  • Change in vision
  • Confusion or changes in mental status
  • Any sudden or severe pain
  • Uncontrolled bleeding
  • Severe or persistent vomiting or diarrhea
  • Coughing or vomiting blood
  • Suicidal feelings
  • Difficulty speaking
  • Unusual abdominal pain

When to take your child to the Emergency Department:

  • Children have unique medical problems and may display different symptoms than adults
  • Symptoms that are serious for a child may not be serious for an adult
  • Children may also be unable to communicate their condition, which means an adult will have to interpret the behavior

Always get immediate medical attention if you think your child is having a medical emergency!

What to Expect During Your Visit to the Emergency Department

It is helpful to understand what takes place when visiting the Wickenburg Community Hospital Emergency Department.

  1. Triage: Upon arrival patients check-in and receive an identification number and bracelet. The triage nurse interviews each patient to determine the reason for their visit and may do a brief exam which may include vital signs, pulse, and respiration, temperature, and oxygen levels. The triage process helps determine the severity of the patient’s condition so the most urgent patients are seen by the physician first.
  2. Registration: Registration is completed sometime during the patient’s stay and before leaving the Emergency Department. Your care will not be delayed to collect registration information.
  3. Treatment: Patients who are believed to be having a medical emergency will be seen as soon as possible in an exam room. Treatments will be done in that room. Often there are a variety of tests that need to be done to correctly diagnose and treat a patient’s concern. The Emergency Department has a specialized team that works under the guidance of a physician to provide treatment. Team members may include a registered nurse, medical or radiology technician, physical therapist, and/or respiratory therapist.
  4. Re-evaluation: When all necessary treatments and procedures are complete and test results are reviewed, your physician will decide if you will be discharged or admitted to the hospital.
  5. Going Home/Discharge: Patients who are treated and discharged home are provided with complete after-care instructions to follow. It is very important patients follow up with their primary care provider.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are some people seen sooner than others?

Wickenburg Community Hospital is committed to providing you with excellent patient care. A triage nurse will evaluate each patient and determine the general severity of illness or injury. Because our first priority is to save lives, the most severely injured or ill patients will be seen first. Also, you may be waiting for a specific treatment room, diagnostic test, lab result, or a return phone call from a consulting specialist. If you are asked to wait but begin to feel worse, please tell the nurse right away.

How long does treatment take?

If you have a complicated health problem, you may be in the Emergency Room for many hours. Your health problem may require numerous tests and your doctor may need to consult with specialists.

If your illness or injury is life-threatening, it may take several hours to stabilize your condition. There are many services available in the Emergency Department, but the number of patients needing these services may also create a delay.

Why did I have to wait when the staff did not look busy?

Staff and physicians are waiting for diagnostic test results and often can’t proceed with other treatment or diagnosis until the test results are available.

How can I get my medical records if I need them?

You can pick up copies of your medical records from Health Information Management services. Please call in advance at 928-684-4364, so your records can be prepared for you. You will need to sign a release of information form before receiving the records. X-rays can be picked up from Health Information Management services as well.

Why can’t you tell me what this will cost?

Unless a diagnosis is performed, we cannot tell you exactly what the estimated cost will be. After the physician evaluation occurs, he or she dictates a report describing your care. Once the report is transcribed, charges are electronically posted to your account. The charges can be obtained in about two to three days after your visit. Please be advised that along with the hospital bill, you may also receive bills from the Emergency Department physician, radiologist, and pathologist (lab).

Who can help me if I have a concern or would like to comment about my care in the Emergency Room?

We welcome your questions, comments, and concerns – they help us improve our care. If you do not feel comfortable talking with the staff that treated you, you can speak with the Quality & Infection Control Manager or Director of Nursing.

 

Patient Testimony

Primary Care

Community Hospital Clinics are located in Wickenburg, Wittmann, and Congress. We sincerely follow our mission to provide quality health and wellness services where the patient, family, and community come first.

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Emergency Care

Our 8 bed Emergency Room department is fully staffed with emergency physicians, nurses, and ER specialists. Your wait time is typically measured in minutes not hours as in the larger metropolitan hospitals.

Read More

Surgical Services

Wickenburg Community Hospital provides a wide variety of surgical care and treatment. We serve a vibrant and active community who favors quality health care close to home.

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