DeSoto Memorial Hospital

The Emergency Department uses state-of-the-art equipment for treating all types of emergencies from a critical injury due to accident or a life threatening medical illness such as a heart attack or stroke. We also use the most up-to-date medications to treat your emergency. Our Emergency Department is divided into 3 sections:

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• Acute care area, where we monitor patients who require more urgent care.

• Fast tract area, where we treat everything from the common cold to a broken arm.

• Trauma bay for those patients requiring more intense, focused care due to trauma.

 

Upon arrival to the Emergency Department, you will be triaged by our highly trained staff who will determine the urgency of your emergency. Unlike the doctor’s office, patients in the Emergency Room are not seen by order of arrival, rather than the seriousness of the injury or illness. The average time for waiting for triage is approximately less than 10 minutes.

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Once in a room, you will be evaluated by a provider who may order lab work, radiological studies, or other tests to help determine the nature of your emergency. You will be monitored closely during your stay and based on the results of the tests and the provider evaluation, a plan of care will be discussed with you by the provider and nursing staff. The plan of care may include discharge where you will receive instructions on how to care for your injury or illness as well as any needed follow-up care. It is recommended that you call for a follow-up appointment with your medical provider the next business day following your visit to the emergency department. If you don’t have a medical provider, a list can be provided for you.

We are committed to providing the most efficient, high-quality care to our patients, however we periodically experience high volumes. Our average time for treatment, time-in to time-out is less than 2 hours. This does not apply if it is determined you need to be admitted to the hospital.

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We treat all patients with an emergency, regardless of their ability to pay or their insurance plan.

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Florida Poison Information Center
DeSoto Memorial Hospital partners with the Florida Poison Information Center, which provides vital poison and health care information to residents of Florida. The center also conducts poison education and prevention programs.  Anyone needing information can call the Florida Poison Information Center at 1-800-222-1222 you can visit their web-site at www.fpicn.org.