Our Emergency Department Registration & Waiting Area is Moving
As of Thursday, March 14, we have closed the previous Emergency Department
waiting area and temporarily relocated it inside the Mineral King Lobby.
This area has expanded seating and an intake area where we will register
patients and take vitals for the next four to five months as we proceed
with construction. For more information, visit
www.kaweahdelta.org/ED.
El jueves, 14 de marzo, cerraremos el área de espera del departamento
de emergencias y la reubicaremos dentro de la sala de espera del lado
Mineral King. Esta área tendrá más asientos y un
área de admisiones donde registraremos a los pacientes y le tomaremos
los signos vitales. Esto será por los siguientes cuatro a cinco
meses mientras continuamos con la construcción. Para más
información, visite la red
www.kaweahdelta.org/ED.
Emergency Medical Services for Tulare County
Emergency and Trauma Services
A designated Level III Trauma Center, Kaweah Delta Medical Center provides
24-hour emergency care for illness and injury. The Medical Center is staffed
24 hours a day with a team of in-house trauma surgeons, anesthesiologists,
physician specialists, a full trauma support team and contracted staffing
provided by
California Emergency Physicians (CEP).
Kaweah Delta Medical Center provides comprehensive Emergency Medical care
to patients suffering from critical and life-threatening illnesses and
injuries. The Emergency Department treats over 80,000 patients each year
from Tulare, Kings and surrounding counties, making it one of the busiest
Emergency care facilities in California.
F.A.S.T. ER = Fast Assessment and Streamline Treatment in the ED
F.A.S.T. track process
As a patient comes into the Emergency Department (ED) they will be greeted,
quickly registered and assessed. The patient will be taken back to the
triage area where their medical team will decide their plan of care. For
non-English speaking patients Medical Interpreters are available.
Family members will be asked to wait in the lobby during this process.
Family members or care takers will be allowed with children and patients
that need assistance. Having families wait in the lobby will minimize
the confusion in the ED.
In the triage area the care process will begin. Blood tests, x-rays, etc.
will be ordered if needed and the patient will be placed in a treatment
chair in the ED hallway unless it is determined that a bed is needed.
After test results are back, the physician will determine if the patient
can go home or will be admitted for further care.
Kaweah Delta’s Level III Trauma Center opened in 2009 with the goal
of improving the medical care of patients with critical and/or multi-system
injuries. Since that time the center has greatly expanded its size and
scope of services. Patient care is a coordinated effort between surgery,
nursing and ancillary services, and we strive to deliver it efficiently
and seamlessly, using the more current knowledge, in our effort to save lives.
A newly-constructed helipad began operation in the summer of 2013 to facilitate
transfers to and from Kaweah Delta, ensuring the most expedient and appropriate
care to trauma victims. “Installation of a helipad at Kaweah Delta
will have far reaching effects on the residents of the region,”
said Kaweah Delta Director of Trauma, Dr. Nicole Meissner. “It will
enable residents to have access to medical care faster than ever before.
Treatment in the first hour has a significant impact on survival, especially
when it comes to trauma. Because of this, the helipad will make our community
safer for everyone”.
Medical Interpreters and interpreting services are available on an ongoing
basis to assist the culturally diverse populations we serve in the hospital.
Medical Interpreters are available to help patients communicate with hospital
and clinic staff.
Call the Interpreter Services Department at (559) 624-5902 or (559) 624-5981
for assistance.
http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart
Images: Kaweah Delta Acequia Wing New Ambulance Bay, 0559