Located at North Oaks Medical Center
[facility map]

We know that the experience of a sudden illness or injury may be frightening. The Emergency Department staff at North Oaks consists of physicians and nurses who are not only specially trained in emergency medicine, but also are compassionate and motivated to provide excellent emergency care in the quickest manner possible.

The North Oaks Emergency Department consists of 21 rooms, including 4 trauma rooms, 2 rooms with pelvic exam tables, and 1 room with a specialized ENT and eye equipment.

The ER Annex is a seven room unit adjacent to the Emergency Department, that provides care to patients with medical problems requiring minimal testing and treatment. The ER Annex department is staffed with doctors and nurses trained in adult and pediatric medical care and is typically open 14 hours a day, from 10 a.m. to 12 midnight.

What to Expect
When you arrive in the Emergency Department, the first person you will encounter is a patient representative. The receptionist is available to call for assistance when a patient needs a wheelchair or help in getting out of the car. A patient representative also notifies the triage nurse of all patient arrivals.

Next, you will be seen by the triage nurse. The triage nurse is a registered nurse specially trained to determine the severity of illness and/or injury and the urgency of treatment. This assessment ensures that all patients receive the most appropriate medical treatment in a timely manner.

Critically ill or injured patients are always seen before patients with less severe medical problems. All other patients are seen based on a combination of factors, such as:

• Symptoms
• Vital signs and age
• Need for a specialized room or equipment
• Time of arrival.

This means that patients who arrive by ambulance may not always receive priority over patients who arrive by car.

Waiting Times
You will be seen as soon as possible. If a room is available, one of the triage staff members will escort you directly to an exam room. If an exam room is not available, you will be asked to wait in the lobby.

If your condition changes or you have a question, please return to the triage area and ask to speak directly to a nurse.

Factors that may influence your wait time include:
• The number of people waiting ahead of you
• The seriousness of the condition of the patients being treated ahead of you
• Available exam rooms
• The number of physicians on duty
• Whether you can be seen in the ER Annex or the main Emergency Department.

If you have any questions regarding the care or treatment provided in the Emergency Department, please take this time to ask your doctor or nurse for further information.