Emergency Department at Memorial Hospital

ED Patient Registration

Patients seeking emergency care should call Emergency Department Patient Registration at 603-356-5461 ext. 2331 before arrival, if possible. The receptionist will notify the ED triage nurse and ask for your name and date of birth. If you are unable to answer these questions, we will ask a family member or friend to provide this information.

Triage

The ED triage nurse will:

• Assess the severity of your injury or illness
• Ask why you came to the ED
• Ask what medical conditions you have
• Ask what medications you are taking
• Ask if you have any allergies
• Take your temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure
• Ask you to rate any pain you are experiencing on a scale of 0 to 10
• May also order lab tests and or imaging studies

After your assessment, the triage nurse will assign you to a category that will determine when you can be seen. If you do not need immediate treatment, please be patient. The most seriously ill or injured must be seen first. You may see people who arrived after you receive treatment before you. As soon as possible, you will be taken from the waiting room to an exam room for examination and treatment by an emergency physician.

Treatment or Admission

The physician will create a plan of care that could include medication, diagnostic tests or IVs while you are here. Your primary nurse will initiate care. If necessary, specialists are on call to provide specific services. Based on the assessment and the results of diagnostic tests, you may be admitted to the hospital or discharged with written instructions for you to follow.

After Treatment or Admission

• The ED will inform your primary care physician about your visit. We communicate electronically, which means your test results and documentation are quickly available to any physicians you may visit for follow-up care.
• Memorial Hospital patients are encouraged to sign up for MyChart, our patient portal. MyChart gives you access to your visit notes, test results, and billing information 24/7. In case of emergency, call 9-1-1. MyChart should not be used for medical emergencies.
• If you were seen in our Emergency Department and would like a copy of your medical records, please contact the Health Information Management Department at 603-356-0646 or complete this form.

Our ED physicians have special training in emergency care and are board-certified in emergency medicine and family practice. Many specialists are also available to assess patients at the request of the ED physician. These include specialists in cardiology, orthopedics, general surgery, ophthalmology, urology, OB/GYN, radiology, and oncology.

Our ED nurses are all registered professionals with extensive training and experience in emergency care. Our emergency care technicians are trained to recognize critical patient signs and symptoms, do EKGs, draw blood and conduct other bedside diagnostic tests.

Anyone can have a medical emergency. If there is an immediate threat to your health, you should go to the emergency department at the nearest hospital for treatment.

Do not drive a car if you are having a medical emergency. Emergency departments are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The ER provides immediate care.

Call 9-1-1 for an ambulance.

Emergency care is needed when you have a sudden medical problem that requires immediate hospital care. Call 9-1-1 if you have to get to the hospital right away. Medics can start treatment on the way to the hospital.

According to the American College of Emergency Physicians, these are warning signs that you are having a medical emergency:

• Bleeding that will not stop
• Breathing problems
• Change in mental status (unusual behavior, confusion)
• Chest pain
• Choking
• Coughing up blood
• Fainting or loss of consciousness
• Feeling like harming yourself or someone else
• Head or spine injury
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Sudden injury such as a car accident, burns or smoke inhalation, near drowning, deep or large wound, etc.
• Sudden, severe pain anywhere in your body
• Sudden dizziness, weakness or change in your vision
• Swallowing a poisonous substance
• Upper abdominal pain or pressure

If you experience any of these problems, call 9-1-1 immediately.

People with non-urgent conditions should always call their family doctor or primary care physician before going to the emergency department.

A provider is always available. If you need to speak with someone after hours, call your primary care doctor's office and follow the instructions in the recorded message.

Our "Where to Go for Care" infographic can help you decide where to seek care based on cost, convenience and medical condition.