Ashtabula County Medical Center | ACMC Pulse | Summer 2019

14 ACMC Pulse • Anniversary Issue • acmchealth.org WHETHER IT IS 3 P.M. on a weekday or 3 a.m. on a Sunday, Ashtabula County Medical Center’s Emergency Department is open. It’s been that way since even before Ashtabula General Hospital opened its doors. The forerunner of the hospital was an emergency hospital—mainly used by injured railroad workers— which was open from 1882 to 1904. The Emergency Department was a key component of the new Ashtabula General Hospital and remained so with each successive expansion through the decades. In those early days, Ashtabula General Hospital saw only a few hundred patients a year. Today, ACMC’s emergency department sees about 100 per day (35,000 per year). “Our Emergency Department is the perfect example of our mission to ensure local residents have nearly immediate access to ACMC Emergency Department never closes healthcare—which often begins before a patient sets foot in our door,” said ACMC Healthcare System President and CEO Michael Habowski. Communication enhances care That pre-hospital care is made possible by a combination of wireless technology and dedicated emergency medical services (EMS) teams of paramedics, first responders and emergency medical technicians who transport patients to the hospital. Patients potentially having a heart attack or a stroke are prime examples of who can benefit from pre-hospital communication. EMS teams can use in-ambulance diagnostic equipment to send patient health data directly to the ACMC Emergency Department. ACMC physicians review the data and, if necessary, consult with Cleveland Clinic physicians as to which protocol will provide the best outcome for the patient. By the time the patient arrives at ACMC, a course of action has been determined and caregivers can begin treatment, proceed with further tests or stabilize the patient for transport to Cleveland for more complex treatment options. Walk-in care ACMC has reduced Emergency Department wait times by using a split-flow system where the sickest patients are taken quickly to the emergency exam rooms. Patients with less serious conditions (such as an earache or ankle sprain) are seen in a traditional patient exam room. They are seen by a nurse, and a nurse practitioner or physician, and released. Patients can potentially save even more time (and money) by walking into one of four ACMC Express Care offices weekdays and Saturdays. Express Care in Ashtabula, Conneaut, Geneva and Jefferson treat patients with minor illnesses and injuries. Most insurances rate Express Care as similar to a physician office visit, which means patients may only need to pay their standard co-pay. Habowski said: “We are proud to be here, day in and day out for our residents when they need us the most. The hospital was founded on the promise of quick access during emergencies and we continue to fulfill that promise today.” Emergency care