Emergency Services
The George L. Shields Emergency Department
Emergency care has been provided by the Frederick Memorial Healthcare System since a one bed “Accident Room” was set aside in 1905 on the first floor of the old Frederick City Hospital. Since that day, the doors have remained open 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week, three hundred sixty five days a year for more than 100 years.
This photo is of the original hospital structure circa 1903, with horse drawn ambulance on the front lawn. The window of what would eventually become the "Accident Room" can be seen between the pillars on the left side of the portico.
The new Emergency Department opened at full capacity in April of 2004. The department and new facility were officially dedicated to the memory of George L. Shields in May of 2004. Generous support from the George L. Shields Foundation helped the hospital realize its ambitious construction and renovation goals for the new Emergency Department which will provide care to over 65,000 patients this year alone.
The Shields Emergency Department is one of the largest emergency departments in the region. With over 24,000 square feet, the ED houses:
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51 beds and treatment rooms
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CT scanner dedicated to ED patients
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X-ray suite dedicated to ED patients
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KidZone pediatric care
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State-of-the-art treatment rooms
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The Emergency Department X-Ray Suite |
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The ED has its own CT Scanner
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Today, patients arrive by land and by air for treatment in FMH’s Emergency Department. In 2007, Emergency Physician Associates, the contract service that provide emergency medical care at FMH, treated more than 70,000 patients. The Emergency Department at Frederick Memorial Hospital is in constant evolution, yet remains true to its original mission: excellence in patient care regardless of ability to pay.
General Information
Quality Healthcare
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We work together to coordinate your healthcare needs for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, comfort care, and support
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We provide equal access to needed healthcare, without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, age, sex, handicap, or source of payment.
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We do our best to provide clear, complete healthcare information and answer questions in a language you understand. Interpretation services are available.
Considerate and Respectful Care
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We tell you who we are and what we do. We call you by your name and take time to listen to you.
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We honor your privacy and protect the confidentiality of your healthcare information.
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We respect your personal values, beliefs, and cultural heritage. Chaplains are available to assist you and your family with religious or spiritual support upon request.
Care That Involves You and Your Family
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If you wish, you may establish written Advance Directives to provide your healthcare instructions, appoint a healthcare agent, or become an organ donor. It is important for you to communicate your advance directives or any changes to your designated healthcare agent and healthcare team.
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If you choose, we will involve your family in your care as much as possible.
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If you have a concern or suggestion, we encourage you to tell us in person, by phone or in writing. We will review your comments objectively and address them with you openly and without retribution.
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If you decide to refuse treatment or change your mind about a procedure for which you have given consent, we will respect your decision and inform you of the medical consequences and any options.
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If you choose to change physicians or be moved to another facility, we will do our best to assist you in obtaining care elsewhere whenever possible.
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If you are facing a difficult treatment or care related issue, you and/or your family may consult with the ethics committee if the issue has not been resolved through discussion with your healthcare team.
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If you are asked to take part in a research study related to your illness, you may choose not to join this study or to withdraw from it at any time and still receive the same quality of medical care available to you.
Please Help Us Help You
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You know yourself best. We need to know about your symptoms, past treatments, medicines, and other illnesses. The information and questions you have are important. Please share these so that together we can plan the best care for you and your family.
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We ask you and your family to respect others’ privacy in ways such as respecting confidential conversations, limiting noise, and controlling the number of visitors you receive.
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We ask you to be responsible for doing the things you agree to do in your plan of care and to meet your financial obligations. If you cannot follow your healthcare plan for any reason, please tell us.
Your long-term health depends not only on care received at FMH, but also on decisions you make in your daily life. Take time to recognize the effect of your lifestyle on your personal health.
What You Can Expect During a Visit
Arrival
The Emergency Department has it’s own canopied entranceway adjacent to the hospital’s new Main Entrance. Patients should be dropped off at the Emergency Department entranceway and NOT at the Main Entrance. If the patient requires assistance, such as the use of a wheelchair or a stretcher, personnel are stationed at the door to render the necessary assistance.
The Driver may park the vehicle in the hospital’s designated parking areas. If the lot appears to be full, a Security Guard will be available to assist the driver in finding a parking place.
Intake
Upon arrival to the Emergency Department you will be pre-registered as a patient by a Registered Nurse. This is a quick and easy process and only the most basic information is collected.
Triage
Personnel who have pre-registered you into the Emergency Department are Registered Nurses, so a preliminary evaluation of your condition has taken place without you even knowing it! From the Emergency Department waiting room you will be called into one of the two nurse triage stations directly across from the intake desk.
At the station, a triage nurse will evaluate your medical condition more thoroughly. Your vital signs - Temperature, Pulse, Blood Pressure, and Respiration rate will be taken and recorded, and the nurse will ask questions regarding the nature of your illness or injury.
After the triage nurse has finished assessing the nature and severity of your emergency, she will either ask you to have a seat in the waiting area, or have you taken back into the treatment areas depending on the severity of your condition.
CRITICAL OR SERIOUSLY ILL PATIENTS WILL ALWAYS BE TREATED FIRST
Every effort will be made to see other patients as soon as possible.
Examination
Once you are taken to the treatment area you may be asked to get undressed and put on a hospital gown for a thorough examination. You will be examined by an Emergency Department Provider (doctor, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner). Depending on the results of this initial examination, further testing may be ordered, such as X-rays, blood studies or tests to monitor your heart. Any one of these tests will add at least an hour to your stay.
If necessary, you will be admitted and moved to another area of the hospital where your care will continue. If your illness or injury does not require hospitalization, you will be discharged.
Registration
After you've been evaluated by an Emergency Department Provider, a registration clerk will register you as an FMH patient right at your bedside.
Discharge
You will be given both verbal and written instructions about what to do after you leave. You will be asked to pay any co-pay required by your insurance at the time of discharge.
Visitor Guidelines
Please remember:
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The patient’s needs always come first.
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Children not receiving care should remain in the waiting room under adult supervision.
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The patient has the right to restrict visitors at any time.
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Please respect the rights and privacy of other patients.
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No food is allowed in the patient care area unless for the patient due to medical direction
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