Emergency Services
Excelsior Springs Hospital, just north of Liberty, provides fast, quality emergency care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our team of physicians, nurses, and support staff are trained and equipped to treat your injuries or illnesses close to home.
Our Emergency Department (ED) Process
We know waiting in the Emergency Department (ED) can be difficult when you are not feeling well or your loved one is injured. It is important to understand how the ED works prior to your arrival. At ESH, we follow a three-step process, Triage – Exam – Admit or Discharge, that ensures the most immediate medical needs are addressed first. This means patients are not always seen in the order they arrive.
Triage
Prioritized Care
When you check in, a nurse assesses your condition and places you into one of the following categories:
- Emergent: severe, possibly life-threatening injury or illness
- Urgent: injury or illness that requires care within hours
- Non-urgent: minor injury or illness that is not time-sensitive
ED Wait Time
You may experience a long wait time when:
- We have a high number of patients
- We have several seriously ill or injured patients
- We have patients arriving by ambulance
Exam
While you wait, a nurse may order x-rays, collect blood or urine samples, provide ice packs, or dress wounds, as needed. During the exam, a physician will ask a series of questions to identify a possible cause of your symptoms and order additional testing to be completed.
Estimated Time for Tests and Results
- Blood test: 2 hours
- CT scan: 2 hours
- Urine test: 2 hours
- X-ray: 1 hours
Based on your exam and test results, we will either admit, transfer to a higher level of care, or discharge.
Admit vs. Discharge
Admit
If you require additional on-site treatment, you will be admitted to the hospital.
Discharge
If you do not require further treatment, you will be discharged. During the discharge process, you will receive written discharge instructions and we will answer all your questions, review follow-up care instructions, and provide any required prescriptions.
An important part of your recovery is following up with your primary care doctor a few days after returning home. Because some test results may not be available during your ED visit, these results should be reviewed with your primary care provider. In the event you do not have a primary care doctor, we can offer you a list of accepting providers.
When to Go to the Emergency Department
When medical emergencies happen, the ED at ESH is ready!
Come to the ED if you or someone you know has an emergent condition, such as:
- Broken bones or complicated fractures
- Chest pain or stroke symptoms
- Convulsions or loss of consciousness
- Difficulty speaking or breathing
- Head, back or neck injury
- Poisoning
- Sudden or seven pain, especially in the chest or abdomen
- Thoughts of harming yourself or others
- Uncontrolled bleeding
- Weakness or inability to walk
- Vomiting/coughing up blood
What to Do
If you believe you are having a stroke or heart attack, call 911 and do not drive yourself to the ED. Life-saving care begins in the ambulance, and EMS workers will notify the ED of your condition en route to the hospital.
If you are not experiencing a time-sensitive medical emergency, try to secure the following:
- A comprehensive list of over-the-counter medications and supplements (include dosage when possible)
- A list of medication allergies
- A copy of any recent medical test results or reports from other facilities
- Contact information for your primary care doctor and any other healthcare providers who should receive reports from your ED visit