Emergency Services

The Wise Health System ED is always open, even on holidays. We are open 24 hours a day/7 days a week/365 days of the year. No appointment is necessary.

All physician and RN members of the Wise Health System ED Team are certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS). In addition to pediatric, trauma and cardiac care, the Emergency Department provides emergent obstetrical, gynecological, orthopedic and neurological (stroke) services for patients.

Even though you may not see anyone else in the waiting room, the ED staff are most often taking care of critical patients who are brought in by ambulances. If your condition is not immediately life threatening, you may have to wait until a provider is available.

In the Wise Health System ED, we have a triage area. When the waiting room gets busy, patients are taken to the triage area to assess symptoms and start any necessary testing, bloodwork, etc. Patients are then sent back to the waiting room to wait for a provider to see them. This helps reduce the time the patient is in the ED exam room.

Wise Health System ED contracts with the Schumacher Group to provide emergency care physicians. Throughout the day/night staffing changes according to patient volume. We have up to 2 emergency medicine physicians and 1 Advanced Practice Provider (NP or PA).

Patients may leave with a broad diagnosis (Ex: abdominal pain, back pain, etc.). What this means is that an emergency medical/surgical conditions has been ruled out. However, it is important to follow up with your PCP/Specialty Care Provider for further diagnostics and a definitive diagnosis. Even for conditions such as strep, sutures, sprains, etc., you should still follow up with your primary care provider, so they are aware of your diagnosis, what medications were given and to assure that you are getting better with treatment provided.

Tests/Procedures in the ED are used to rule out a medical or surgical emergency, not to diagnose a chronic issue. Procedures such as MRI or biopsy should be ordered by your PCP/Specialty Care Provider, who can follow the results and refer you to a specialist when appropriate.

Going to the emergency room is more expensive than seeing your primary care provider. The ED is staffed 24/7 with physicians and nurses who are specialty trained in emergency care. Lab, radiology, pharmacy, as well as a host of other essential personnel, are staffed around the clock in order to provide quality care.

We understand that medical billing can often be a confusing, complicated and drawn-out process, which is why we strive to be as open and transparent with all of our billing processes and protocols as possible. Please contact WHS Customer Service for questions about your bill.

Wise Health System accepts many commercial insurance plans and honors in-network benefits for medical emergencies.

The ED has the responsibility to treat any patient that has been determined to have a medical emergency regardless of their ability to pay at the time of the visit. We have a special program for patients who do not have insurance or for those who prefer to pay on a cash basis.

Patients must meet admission criteria. Medicare/Medicaid/Private Insurers have criteria which must be met in order for Wise Health System to receive payment. This does not mean that patients who do not have insurance cannot be admitted, but they must still meet admission criteria.