No matter the time of day or night, Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center’s
(PVHMC) Emergency Department (ED) stands ready to serve your care needs, 24/7.
We understand that a visit to the ED can be a stressful experience. When
you have a medical emergency, you want to be seen and diagnosed as quickly
as possible. Here’s some information to help you know what to expect
during your visit.
Step 1: Rapid Physician Evaluation
Upon arrival at the Emergency Department, please check in. An admitting
clerk will request brief demographic information, and a band will be placed
on your arm.
PVHMC offers a 24/7 Provider-on-Arrival program, which means that the first
care provider you will contact is a board-certified emergency medicine
doctor who will evaluate your condition for faster treatment.
The doctor will evaluate you and discuss an individualized care plan to
address your concerns. The doctor will then coordinate the services needed
to assess your medical concern. This may require the ordering of laboratory
tests or special imaging studies. If indicated, the doctor may also order
medications to be administered promptly to alleviate your symptoms and pain.
Step 2: Testing
The physician may order tests to help diagnose or treat your illness. These
tests may or may not include lab studies, X-rays, CT scans, Ultrasound,
MRI or electrocardiogram (EKG). Please keep in mind that the test results
may take some time to be compiled and reviewed.
Step 3: Treatment Area
Depending on your needs, you will be taken into a treatment room space
where you will be prepped for further assessment and greeted by one or
more nurses, who will obtain additional information for the emergency
medicine trained care provider's arrival.
Step 4: Doctor’s Exam
You will be examined, and an ED care provider will assess, diagnose and
may treat your current medical condition. Patients have the right to request
to be seen by a physician if they are not comfortable being evaluated
by a Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner.
Step 5: Diagnosis & Treatment
After your assessment, it will be determined whether you can be safely
discharged or need to be admitted to the hospital for further care. If
you require further care in the hospital, an Admitting representative
will visit you to begin the admission process.
Discharge
When the emergency care provider determines you are ready to go home, you
will be given personalized treatment instructions and advised to follow
up with your primary care physician. These may include care instructions
for managing an illness at home, prescriptions you should fill from your
pharmacy, or other instructions specific to your needs.
If you have any concerns about discharge instructions, please feel free
to discuss them with the staff before leaving the ED.
Emergency Room Services: Why am I Waiting?
The Emergency Department is a very busy place, so be prepared to see several
people in the waiting room. During peak times or during cold/flu/RSV season,
you may also see people waiting in hallways or other areas. Additionally,
during peak times, visitors may be restricted to one parent/guardian per
patient to provide more room in the waiting room for patients.
Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center is proud to be a designated Trauma
Center, Comprehensive Stroke Center and STEMI (heart attack) receiving
center. This means that we may have patients who require immediate medical
care on any given day. Patients arriving by ambulance or through our Trauma
Center need to be seen immediately.
Some medications need to be mixed and reviewed by one of our pharmacists.
The doctor and/or nurse may be waiting for your test results.
The doctor may be trying to reach your primary care physician or a specialist.
Helpful Tips
It would be best if you did not eat or drink anything before you speak
with the triage nurse, as this could affect your care and possibly delay
treatment.
Please inform the triage nurse about any and all medications, vitamins,
herbal supplements, or substances you may be taking.
Please check with the triage nurse if a specimen is needed before using
the restroom.
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