Emergency Department

Emergency Care

The Emergency Department at Wooster Community Hospital provides medical services for urgent situations concerning illnesses or injuries. We have physicians and nurses trained and certified in emergency medicine, as well as a modern facility that allows us to provide quality care in a personal manner.

Working as a team, our physicians, nurses, and other medical professionals demonstrate on a daily basis their training and experience in trauma, pediatrics, and critical care to meet a wide array of patient services.

The Iris Program at WCH's Emergency Department serves victims of sexual assault or rape with compassion, dignity, and respect – offering anonymous exams, individualized treatment plans, outreach and education, 24/7 access to specialty nurses, and much more.

Safe-haven laws in Ohio legally allow otherwise unharmed infants to be left at WCH to become wards of the state.

When complex procedures such as neurosurgery or invasive cardiology surgery (which are not performed at Wooster Community Hospital) are necessary, patients may be transferred to a tertiary care center in Cleveland, Akron, Canton, or Columbus. With a heliport on campus and numerous land transport services available at WCH, a tertiary care center is only minutes away.

To ensure patient comfort and safety, the number of visitors welcomed at the ER bedside is to be two fewer. If you have questions regarding our safety policy, please feel free to speak to the nurse supervisor.

Triage – Medical Urgency

The word "triage" is frequently used in all emergency departments. It means that medical priority is given to patients who require the most immediate care. For example, a patient experiencing a heart attack would receive medical attention before a patient who does not have a life-threatening issue.

Examination and Treatment

After being triaged, Emergency Department patients will be seen by an emergency room (ER) physician. The ER doctor will examine the patient, assess his or her symptoms, and, if necessary, order laboratory and radiology tests to help diagnose the patient's condition. Upon discharge, patients will receive information concerning their diagnosis, the care they received, and follow-up procedures.

Beaverson EMS Institute

The Beaverson Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Institute at Wooster Community Hospital is a privately endorsed foundation providing emergency squads with equipment and advanced education.

Patient and Visitor Code of Conduct

The heart of our mission at Wooster Community Hospital is to offer superior healthcare and to create a compassionate environment that supports health and healing. We believe that quality care is a collective effort and ask that everyone within our community—patients, visitors, and staff alike— helps play their role. To maintain a safe, caring, and inclusive environment, we have established a Patient and Visitor Code of Conduct. We kindly request that all those who enter our premises adhere to these guidelines, fostering a respectful atmosphere conducive to recovery.

Code of Conduct

To ensure our hospital and care locations are safe, caring, and inclusive, we ask that patients and visitors follow the example of Wooster Community Hospital providers and staff by adhering to our Patient and Visitor Code of Conduct, which includes the following:
Everyone will be treated with kindness, dignity, and respect. Offensive comments about race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or personal traits are not acceptable, and neither is the refusal to see a clinician or staff based on these traits.

All patients and visitors will use respectful, appropriate language and behavior. Physical or verbal threats or assaults, suggestive or explicit words, phrases, gestures, or actions will not be tolerated.
All patients and visitors will respect patient privacy and avoid disrupting other patients’ care or experiences.
All patients and visitors must obtain the consent of everyone involved for any photographing or video/audio recording within all hospital and patient care locations.
The following expectations are also required of hospitalized patients:
- Patients will remain on the unit for their safety, and to facilitate timely care. Being on the unit allows for prompt testing, timely medication administration and frequent assessment by healthcare providers. Patients are encouraged to walk in the hallway of their unit.
- Patients who do leave the unit must develop a therapeutic plan for being off the unit with their physician and nursing team prior to leaving the unit.
- Leaving the unit, if not part of your therapeutic care plan, may be considered leaving against medical advice and could result in your discharge.

If these guidelines are not followed:

Patients may be asked to leave and make other plans for their non-emergent immediate care.
In cases of non-compliance, patients will have an opportunity to explain their perspective, which will be considered prior to any decisions regarding future care at Wooster Community Hospital.
For severe violations, a No Trespass Order may be issued. In this case, approval may be required prior to seeking non-emergent care at Wooster Community Hospital in the future.
- Patients may still seek emergent care when needed.
Visitors may be asked to leave and could be restricted from future visitation.

FAQs

The following questions and answers provide information about the Patient and Visitor Code of Conduct.

What is Wooster Community Hospital’s Patient and Visitor Code of Conduct and what is its purpose?
- The Patient and Visitor Code of Conduct is a set of values and guidelines outlining the expectations of patients and visitors within Wooster Community Hospital facilities.
  The Wooster Community Hospital Patient and Visitor Code of Conduct was established to help ensure our hospital and care locations are safe, considerate, and inclusive not only for patients and visitors, but for our providers, nurses, and staff as well.
What is included in the Patient and Visitor Code of Conduct?
- We ask patients and visitors to follow Wooster Community Hospital’s expectations of our providers, nurses, and staff by adhering to our Patient and Visitor Code of Conduct:
  - Everyone will be treated with kindness, dignity, and respect. Offensive comments about race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or personal traits are not acceptable, and neither is the refusal to see a clinician or staff based on these traits.
  - All patients and visitors will use respectful, appropriate language and behavior. Physical or verbal threats or assaults, suggestive or explicit words, phrases, gestures, or actions will not be tolerated.
  - All patients and visitors will respect patient privacy and avoid disrupting another patient’s care or experience.
  - All patients and visitors must obtain the consent of everyone involved for any photographing or video/audio recording within all hospital and patient care locations.

Why is Wooster Community Hospital implementing a Patient and Visitor Code of Conduct?
- Every day, we are committed to providing the highest levels of care to our patients. We ask patients and visitors to show the same respect they expect to receive from our staff and providers. Healthcare facilities across the country and in our region are experiencing an increase in violence directed at healthcare workers. The Patient and Visitor Code of Conduct sets expectations for patients and visitors to follow at our care locations.

How can I report a Patient and Visitor Code of Conduct violation?
- If you witness or experience any unacceptable behavior, please report it to a member of your care team or a Wooster Community Hospital Security Officer.
What happens if a patient or visitor does not comply with the Patient and Visitor Code of Conduct?
- If these guidelines are not followed:
- Patients may be asked to leave and make other plans for their non-emergency care.
  - For severe violations a No Trespass order may be issued
  - Patients may be required to obtain approval prior to seeking non-emergent care at Wooster Community Hospital
  - Patients may still seek emergent care when needed.