Patients/Visitors: Please complete a brief screening on our prescreen app prior to arrival to expedite entry into our hospital. To learn more about receiving care during COVID-19, click here.
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Emergency Medicine
The health and safety of our patients, families and staff is our top priority. We understand that you may have concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic but know that the Department of Emergency Medicine is steadfast in our promise to provide the critical care you and your loved ones need during this difficult time. Learn more about Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital's Safe Care Commitment.
The emergency department (ED) has implemented a number of measures and special precautions to keep our ED safe and fully functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic, including:
All patients and staff must follow our safety guidelines while inside the ED’s waiting areas and clinical spaces. We require all employees, patients and visitors to wear a mask while in the hospital. We ask that everyone clean their hands using soap and water, or our new hand sanitizer stations, before and after physical contact with surfaces and others. We also follow physical distancing guidelines when providing care in the ED.
All patients who are admitted to the hospital from the ED are tested for COVID-19. Any patients with respiratory symptoms or who have tested positive for COVID are cared for in accordance with our infection control guidelines. All visitors to the ED are also screened for symptoms. A visitor with symptoms is restricted from entering the ED to protect staff and other patients.
We have made visits to the ED as efficient as possible to limit the total number of patients in the ED at any one time. A patient with less severe illness or injury (like a swollen ankle) may receive care in a private area near the waiting room and be discharged without entering other parts of the clinical space. We have accelerated the care process for patients who need immediate care by ordering blood work or simple imaging before they enter the ED.
We limit the number of patients inside our waiting areas and clinical spaces to allow for safe physical distancing. Patients who must enter the ED are brought to an exam room as soon as a room becomes available. We also made the transfer of patients from the ED to an inpatient floor a more efficient process when an admission is necessary.
We installed plexiglass barriers in the ED’s waiting areas and clinical spaces to improve infection control. We also spaced patient seats far apart in common areas to allow for physical distancing. We replaced some exam room curtains with semi-permanent walls to provide more physical barriers between patients and staff. To minimize physical contact between patients and staff, our exam rooms also offer video conferencing technology that allows patients and staff to use video conversations in addition to face-to-face interactions.
The environmental services team keeps the ED clean and sanitary by performing rigorous, around-the-clock cleaning of waiting areas, clinical spaces and high-touch surfaces, including medical equipment. We also reduced the time it takes to start a room cleaning after use, ensuring that exam rooms are cleaned as soon as patients leave.
Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital's emergency department has put many safety measures into place to provide the safest possible environment for patient care.
If you have a medical emergency, it’s important to visit the nearest emergency department (ED) as soon as possible. A medical issue that requires immediate care may worsen without attention and proper treatment from an emergency care team. Seeking out care when every minute counts has never been more important.
“We have seen some patients with chest pain, or a worrisome headache, choose to delay their emergency care during the pandemic,” says Janet Gorman, associate chief nursing officer of the ED. “These delays can lead to a heart attack, stroke or even death. If you’re experiencing an emergency, please visit us for emergency care.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing these signs or symptoms, it’s important to seek emergency care right away:
Other conditions that require emergency care include:
People with COVID-19 can experience a variety of symptoms. If you or someone you know experiences any of the following, seek immediate medical attention:
Learn more about seeking care for medical emergencies during COVID-19.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, teams across Brigham Health have been developing innovative solutions to protect health care workers and patients. These solutions include:
The ED will be launching new digital technologies to help further improve safety and access to emergency care. We are developing a digital tool that will display wait times to allow patients to know how long they would have to wait to get emergency care at any given time. We are also developing a tool that will allow patients with less severe illnesses or injuries (like a swollen ankle) to schedule their own visit to the ED during times when it’s typically less busy (morning).
Offering comprehensive medical, surgical and psychiatric care as well as complete emergency, ambulatory and diagnostic services to residents of southwest Boston and the surrounding suburbs.
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