Emergency Services
Emergency Care, 24/7
Health issues don’t take nights and weekends off. Our quality care and treatment don’t either.
At STRHS Sewanee our Emergency Room (ER) team is staffed 24/7 with emergency physicians, nurses and staff who are trained in providing emergency care. Our team combines advanced training with compassionate service to be ready for you or your family when you need it the most.
Next Steps
What to Expect in our ER
As a patient, you will be cared for by staff trained to respond to any type of medical emergency. We understand a visit to the ER can be a very stressful time; therefore, you should expect us to communicate with you and guide you through your situation. You should always ask questions if you do not understand.
Quality Emergency Care
The national recognition we’ve earned demonstrates our staff’s commitment to providing the highest quality of care including:
American College of Cardiology Chest Pain Center Accreditation
STRHS Sewanee received Chest Pain Center accreditation from the American College of Cardiology. We are dedicated to providing our patients with the best heart care treatment available. As an accredited facility, we use the newest methods and best practices in heart care to ensure that our patients receive:
- Right care at the right time to minimize or eliminate heart damage due to heart attack
- Timely and accurate diagnoses to reduce the disruption to your life and get you back home as soon as possible
- Help and communication to better understand how to respond to your heart emergencies
- Improved quality of life after a heart episode
Recognize the Symptoms
Two of the most common life-threatening emergencies are heart attacks and strokes. Timely treatment is crucial!
Heart attack symptoms
Heart attacks have beginnings. These beginnings occur in more than 50% of patients. Most importantly, if recognized in time, these “beginnings” can be treated before the heart is damaged!
Alarming Statistics
- Heart disease causes approximately 1 of 4 deaths in the United States.
- About 50% of sudden cardiac deaths occur outside a hospital. This suggests that many people don’t act on early warning signs.
- Survey results show that only 27% of the respondents were aware of all major symptoms and knew to call 911.
- By sharing Early Heart Attack Education (EHAC), we can change these sobering statistics!
Early signs
Early signs and symptoms that can begin hours or days before a heart attack. You may or may not experience any or all of these symptoms. You may experience mild chest symptoms, such as pressure, burning, aching or tightness. These symptoms may come and go until finally becoming constant and severe.
- Nausea
- Pain that travels down one or both arms
- Jaw pain
- Fatigue
- Chest pressure, squeezing or discomfort
- Back pain
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling of fullness
- Sleep disturbances including bouts of insomnia or trouble either getting to sleep or staying asleep
- Indigestion
Time to call 9-1-1 – If someone shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get the person to the hospital immediately. Check the time so you'll know when the first symptoms appeared.
Hands-Only CPR can double or even triple a person's chance of survival! To learn more, click on: Hands-Only CPR
Stroke Symptoms
Experiencing stroke symptoms? Call 9-1-1 immediately!
F.A.S.T. is an easy way to remember the sudden signs of stroke. When you can spot the signs, you'll know that you need to call 9-1-1 for help right away.
F.A.S.T. is:
Face Drooping – Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person's smile uneven?
Arm Weakness – Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
Speech Difficulty – Is speech slurred? Is the person unable to speak or hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like "The sky is blue." Is the sentence repeated correctly?
Time to call 9-1-1 – If someone shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get the person to the hospital immediately. Check the time so you'll know when the first symptoms appeared.
Other Stroke Symptoms
Sudden confusion, sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes, sudden trouble walking or loss of balance, sudden severe headache with no known cause.
Remember: Call 9-1-1 if you believe you are experiencing a medical emergency. Calling 9-1-1 is almost always the fastest way to get lifesaving treatment. EMS staff are trained to revive someone whose heart has stopped. It is best to call EMS for rapid transport to the emergency room.