Emergency Department

Scope of Care

• Emergency medical evaluations or initial treatment is properly assessed by qualified individuals, and appropriate services are provided through a well defined plan, based on community needs and the defined capacity of the hospital.
• Savoy Medical Center offers a level II emergency service.  The plan is approved by the Medical Staff and the Board of Directors.  We take reasonable care in determining whether an emergency exists through a triage of the emergency nurse and a medical screening evaluation by the ER physician, lab studies, x-rays, and any other necessary means.  We render life-saving and stabilizing treatment and when needed make appropriate referral to a facility that has capabilities that a patient may require.
• A level to emergency department offers emergency care 24 hours a day with at least one physician available in the emergency room and specialty physicians available within 30 minutes including orthopedics, internal medicine, surgery, pediatricians, obstetrics, and gyn.
• Savoy Medical Center has a communication system through radio and/or telephone that permits instant contact with all local EMS providers within the community which provides advance information concerning critically ill or injured patients.
• Since our community is bilingual, French and English, many employees are fluent in both and are available if interpretive services are needed, thus providing means for communication for our predominate population served by the hospital emergency services.  Occasional Spanish speaking patients are cared for at Savoy Medical Center.  We do have employees who speak Spanish who act as interpreters.
• The readiness of Savoy Medical Center to offer emergency medical services is defined by classification of capability (Level II).  Emergency Specialty consultation is available by the request of the emergency physician or medical staff member.
• Local EMS Providers transport patients and communicate through radio and telephone.
• If transport to another facility is needed, EMS providers are available to the transport patients to the nearest facility indicated.
• The hospital and its medical staff promote, help to develop, and implement a community based emergency plan.  Savoy Medical Center participates in community planning for emergency services.
• The hospital evaluates and classifies itself to indicate its capabilities in providing emergency medical services to the community.
• The emergency department manager manges the nursing staff.  The clinical nursing staff consists of RN's.  Three RN's are scheduled 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., while 2 RN's are scheduled 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. shifts.  In house supervisors are available should the census and acuity of the emergency department patients require additional staffing.
• The ER entrance is located on the North side of the building.  A clearly identified covered entrance has easy accessibility for vehicle, pedestrian traffic, and ambulance services.
• The triage station is located in the emergency department entrance.
• The waiting area is located at the emergency department entrance.  A hospital phone for local calls is available and a pay phone is available for long distance calls in the waiting area.  The waiting room and entrance are equipped with cameras so that these areas are under constant monitoring by the ER and Admit Staff.
• Bathrooms are provided for both patient and visitor accommodations.  These bathrooms are equipped with emergency call stations.
• The emergency room has one trauma room, one cardiac room, one special procedure (suture) room, as well as an open area to accommodate four (4) patients.  Curtains in this area provide visual privacy while stretcher spacing provides for auditory privacy.

Common Diagnosis and Complaints

• Abdominal pain
• Back pain
• Chest pain angina
• Nausea, vomiting
• Headache
• Renal Calculi
• Respiratory infections
• Urinary tract infections
• Wound infections
• Dispnea
• Seizures
• Syncope
• Asthma
• Otitis media
• Multi trauma
• Abrasions, lacerations
• Fractures, sprains and strains
• Soft tissue injuries
• Vaginal bleeding
• Fever
• Foreign bodies
• Allergic reaction anaphylaxis
• Cardiac arrhythmia
• Myocardial infarction
• Epistaxis
• GI Bleeding
• Dermatological manifestations
• Cardio-pulmonary arrest

Treatments and Activities Performed

• Triage
• Vital signs
• CPR
• O2 administration
• Discharge assessment instructions
• Radiological exam interpretations
• Wound Care
• Wound Management
• Obtaining vascular access central or peripheral
• Abscesses
• I&D
• Arterial and venous blood sampling
• Medication administration and dispensing
• Airway management
• Urinary catheterization
• Standard precautions
• C-spine traction immobilization
• Initial eval and stabilization of head and chest injuries
• Cardiac monitoring
• Thrombolitic therapy for acute CVA and acute MI
• Sexual assault evaluations
• Child, elderly, and spouse abuse evaluations
• Splinting, casting
• Transcutaneous/External pacing
• Pericardiocenthesis
• Chest tube insertion
• Psychiatric evaluation for acute or chronic illness
• Antibiotic Therapies
• Emergency Deliveries

The medical staff in the emergency department may not perform the following list of procedures:

• Elective surgery
• Experimental procedures and treatments
• Prolonged care of suicidal or violent patients
• Elective blood transfusions
• Renal dialysis
• Administration of general or spinal anesthesia
• D & C
• Recovery of post-operative patients
• Removal of impactions/enemas
• Chemotherapy

On occasion patients are transferred to other healthcare institutions in accordance with the Savoy Medical Center EMTALA transfer policies abiding by both state and federal laws.  No patients are transferred without medical screening evaluations and stabilization with documentation of such.