Emergency care
Emergency care is the treatment of unexpected, severe medical injuries or infections. It is typically delivered in an emergency room or an ambulance. Our emergency medicine physicians stabilize your condition as quickly as possible to prepare you for the next step of care or discharge.
Emergency care services in Lake City
When you need emergency care, the emergency medicine team at HCA Florida Lake City Hospital is here for you.
We offer emergency services to patients of all ages. The doctors and nurses in our emergency room (ER) are dedicated to providing high-quality emergency care, 24/7.
Emergency stroke treatment
We provide a wide range of services to aid in diagnosis, treatment and recover of patients who have experienced strokes.
Heart attack treatment
A heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart becomes blocked. Immediate emergency care is necessary to restore blood flow and prevent damage to the heart muscle. At our hospital, our cardiac care and emergency room staff collaborate to provide quick, lifesaving heart attack care.
Additionally, we are an Accredited Chest Pain Center designated by the American College of Cardiology because of our focused, effective care to patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). ACS is a general term for any condition that suddenly blocks the heart's blood flow.
Stroke treatment
A stroke is a medical emergency caused by interrupted blood flow within the brain. Emergency treatment is critical to locate the blockage or rupture and restore blood flow.
Our emergency physicians provide fast, effective stroke treatment. We are recognized as a Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission because we are dedicated to providing high-quality stroke care and following clinical best practices for positive patient outcomes.
Fast emergency care services
In addition to our main emergency room, we offer an express care unit to treat patients experiencing minor illnesses and injuries. Patients are seen in the order of their arrival unless they are experiencing serious conditions that require immediate attention.
Our emergency room wait times
When it comes to emergency care, our goal is to continually work toward enhancing the care you receive, while reducing our wait times. This ensures you get the care you need, when you need it most.
Our wait times are updated every 30 minutes and are available on our website.
To find out the wait times of the HCA Florida emergency room nearest to you, check the top of our website or text "ER" to 32222.
Note: Message and data rates may apply. Emergency room wait times are approximate and provided for informational purposes only.
When to go to the emergency room
We understand it can be hard to know what type of medical care you need, like whether you should go to the emergency room or wait for your doctor's office to open.
Conditions that may require emergency care
We want you to feel secure about your choice for care, which is why we've created a list of symptoms that may indicate you need to visit the emergency room:
- Back pain, when it is unbearable or accompanied by fever, numbness, weakness, confusion, slurred speech, vision loss or loss of control over bladder or bowels
- Broken bones, when the pain is severe or there is a visible deformity
- Chest pain, when it is crushing or squeezing and accompanied by other heart attack symptoms, such as shortness of breath or nausea
- Concussion, when you have lost consciousness, even briefly, or experience amnesia, vomiting, slurred speech or a seizure
- Flu, when symptoms become severe, such as having trouble breathing, vomiting uncontrollably or becoming dehydrated
- Side pain, when it is severe and occurs in the lower right stomach, side or back or is accompanied by fever, nausea, diarrhea or blood in the urine
- Stomach pain, when accompanied by a hard or tender stomach, nausea, shortness of breath, fever or irregular heartbeat
- Trouble breathing, when breathing stops, is noisy or high-pitched and comes with pain in the chest or severe shortness of breath
If you are unsure if your symptoms require an emergency room visit, you can speak to a nurse 24/7 by calling our Consult-A-Nurse® line.
What to expect at the emergency room
When you get to the emergency room, one of our triage nurses will assess your symptoms and vital signs. Next, a registration clerk will collect your insurance card (if available) and other information.
We medically screen, evaluate and stabilize all patients — whether or not they have insurance or are able to pay.
Anyone who has severe, life-threatening illnesses or injuries will be treated first. Everyone else will be treated in the order they arrive.
Before discharge, we encourage you to ask our emergency care teams any questions you have. It is also useful for you to keep all of your paperwork, discharge information and medicines or prescriptions together after you leave the emergency room.
What to bring to the emergency room
When coming to the emergency room, we recommend you bring:
- A list of medicines you currently take
- A list of known allergies
- Copies of results from recent medical tests, if available
- Personal care preferences and restrictions
- A responsible adult or phone number for someone to contact
Looking for another location?
Our Emergency care Locations
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