169 Riverside Drive, Binghamton, NY 13905
Phone: 607-798-5231
Lourdes is dedicated to providing quality emergency patient
care.
Our newly expanded Emergency Department features
state-of-the-art equipment and highly private rooms. The
Emergency Department fully integrates vital areas of the hospital,
such as Diagnostic Imaging and the laboratory, to
expedite patient care.
Triage
Please understand that the Emergency Department does
not operate on a "first come, first served" basis. When patients
arrive in the Emergency Department, they are assessed by the triage
nurse. It is the triage nurse's responsibility to identify those
conditions requiring immediate attention and then prioritize a
patient's care based on his or her condition. At times, therefore,
other patients may be seen first.
Certain medical conditions require immediate attention or
specialized equipment which is available in selected rooms in the
Emergency Department. At times of high patient volume, individuals
with lower acuity injuries or illness may be seen in the hallway,
either on stretchers or in wheelchairs. This will facilitate you
seeing the Emergency Department provider more efficiently and help
to shorten the overall waiting time.
Medical Care Team
Lourdes Emergency Department is staffed by professionals with
specialized training in Emergency Medicine. They are also certified
in Advanced Life Support, Advanced Trauma Life Support, and
Pediatric Advance Life Support. Patients are cared for by
Registered Nurses, Board Certified Physicians, Board Certified
Nurse Practitioners and Board Certified Physician Assistants.
The Medical Care Provider will be a Physician, Physician Assistant
or a Nurse Practitioner. A patient's primary care physician will be
contacted as necessary. Some conditions require that a specialist
be contacted. An on-call list of specialists is maintained in the
Emergency Department. If a specialist is contacted to see a
patient, there may be a time delay for his or her arrival. This
team of experts, working for you, will provide you with the most
timely and complete care possible.
Laboratory & X-Ray Testing
The Medical Provider may order diagnostic laboratory or x-ray
testing. These tests take time to be collected, processed, and
interpreted. Our staff will do it's best to keep patients and
families informed. It is necessary for patients to remain in the
Emergency Department while awaiting test results. A decision
regarding treatment or admission to the hospital cannot be made
until all test results are received and interpreted by the medical
care provider.
Visitors
Providing quality patient care, protecting patient
confidentiality, and minimizing waiting times are the primary
concerns of the Emergency Department at Lourdes. We understand that
families and friends of patients are concerned about "their"
patient's care and we will do our best to keep waiting family
members and friends advised of the patient's condition and
progress. We, at Lourdes, feel that two family members or friends
should be allowed to accompany the patient in the Emergency
Department.
There may be times when all visitors are asked to leave the
Emergency Department. They will be told when they may return.
Please comply with any staff member's request to leave the
Emergency Department.
Visitors must stay in the room with the patient they are
accompanying. The hallways must remain clear to allow staff to work
efficiently. Emergency Department staff (RN, PA, MD, etc.)
may make exceptions.
Fast Track
Lourdes Emergency Department includes the Fast Track,
specifically designed to care for minor emergencies in a
comfortable, convenient setting. The Fast Track is not a walk-in
clinic, but rather an integral part of the Emergency Department,
designed to facilitate the care of non-critical emergencies. This
convenient setting serves to shorten the time patients spend in the
Emergency Department. However, if your injury or illness is found
to be more extensive, all the resources of a full Emergency
Department are available to you. Our Fast Track staff is specially
trained and dedicated to treating patients with minor illnesses and
injuries.
Fast Track has six rooms with a comfortable waiting area that is
separate from the main Emergency Department waiting room.
The Fast Track is open seven days a week, from
10:00 AM to 1:00 AM.
Emergency Medical Services
Lourdes Hospital, like the other area hospitals, depends heavily
on our Emergency medical service providers. These individuals
staffing the Susquehanna Region Emergency Services ambulances, both
paid and volunteer, provide this community with high quality and
timely pre-hospital care that makes the difference between life and
death for many in our towns. The providers deserve our highest
praise and respect.
EMS providers take time out from their lives to provide services
to others. They work in close conjunction with our Emergency
Department physicians and act as the physicians' eyes, ears, and
hands; caring for our community between home and hospital. These
EMS providers initiate advanced cardiac care, advanced stroke care,
advanced respiratory care as well as initial trauma care that save
lives. They follow protocols (plans of care) developed by the
Regional Medical Advisory Committee (a volunteer group of emergency
medical physicians) designed to meet the specific needs of our
community.
