Emergency Services

MCH

Here When You Need Us!

Please Dial 911 incase of Emergency.

Our Emergency Room Team strives to provide top-quality, efficient and friendly service.

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Five Steps of Emergency Care

Sudden illness or injury can occur without warning, and while no one typically plans a trip to the Emergency Room (ER), everyone should know what to expect after they arrive.

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Step 1 – Rapid Medical Evaluation

When you arrive at the ER on your own and not in an ambulance, you will first go through a triage process with a licensed registered nurse (RN) and then a medical screening examination by a licensed medical provider to help determine your medical condition and the level of care you need. Patients with the most severe emergencies receive immediate treatment. That is why some patients may receive medical care before you, even if they arrived at the ER after you. This process helps ensure that all patients get the care they need as quickly and efficiently as possible, based on the severity of their injury or illness.

We have a rapid treatment area in the ER called the “Fast Track” for patients who are determined to have less severe injuries after being triaged. This process is designated to help speed up the process of being seen when patients arrive in the ER.

Step 2 – Registration

The registration process is important for two reasons: it lets the ER staff gather information for your patient record and obtain your consent for treatment. Both are necessary for ordering diagnostic tests to enable the provider to determine your best treatment option.

Step 3 – Treatment

Every patient receives treatment from an attending physician or mid-level practitioner. Depending on your condition, a registered nurse may start an intravenous (IV) line. The IV line will allow the nursing staff to quickly administer medications or fluids that may be ordered by a provider. A nurse or technician may also take blood or urine samples, or they may send you for an X-ray or other imaging test before a physician sees you. Providers may also order blood tests on an urgent basis. Test results help emergency medicine providers assess your condition. The results could be available within one to two hours, while you are in the ER. However, some test results may require a longer wait. During your treatment, the staff in the ER will help make sure you are comfortable and informed.

Step 4 – Re-evaluation

Your condition will be re-evaluated after test results come back because the results may give the provider additional insight into the type of treatment you need. How you feel can be just as important as your test results, so be sure to let the provider or nurse know about any pain or discomfort you may feel. The staff may also contact your primary care physician for additional information. If you do not have a primary care physician, we may refer you to an on-call provider. After the re-evaluation, the attending provider determines whether you should be admitted to the hospital or treated and sent home.

Step 5 – Discharge

Part of our job is to keep you healthy long after you’ve left the ER. All patients receive written home-care instructions to follow when discharged. The instructions describe how you can safely care for your wound or illness, directions for prescribed medications and recommendations for follow-up medical care. It is important to fully understand all instructions. If you have a question, let us know while you’re here. Be sure to follow up with your primary care physician as well.

Training;

Team members participate in a host of training events and quality improvement opportunities every year in order to improve the level of emergency room care:

  • Advanced trauma, cardiac and pediatric life support training
  • Local, regional, state and national trauma committees
  • Trauma training with St. Patrick’s Hospital, Community Medical Center, LifeFlight
  • Quality improvement studies through the Montana Rural Healthcare Performance Improvement Network
  • Inter-agency trauma and disaster coordination with local, county, state and federal organizations to meet the demands of large-scale emergencies
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If you have any questions about your treatment, discharge instructions or any aspect of your visit, please ask your provider or nurse. We want you to understand as much as possible about your medical condition, what we are doing to take care of you and what you may need in follow up.

​Thank you for choosing MCH; please consider us for all your health care needs.