ER Wait Time: 3 minutes | If you are having a medical emergency, call 9-1-1.

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Emergency Services

The staff at Paradise Valley Hospital cares about each patient and is dedicated to providing the highest quality of care to all. Our emergency department is designed to care for patients with acute medical problems who cannot wait to be seen by a private physician.

Our mission is to provide appropriate quality of care for all of our patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To accomplish this, specially trained doctors and nurses are available at all times. Our highly skilled nurses and doctors are staffed according to the usual number of patients throughout the day. However, the patient load may increase unexpectedly. This is beyond our control and we appreciate your understanding when waiting is unavoidable.

Emergency-vehicle

About Our ER Wait Time
ER wait time is the average wait time for a patient to see a registered nurse during the triage (evaluation) process in our ER. After patients are triaged (evaluated), they are seen by qualified medical professionals in priority order, according to their medical condition and reason for visit. Times are approximate and provided for information purposes only.

GetCareNow – Reserve Your ER Arrival Time

For life-threatening emergencies call 9-1-1

Let us know you’re coming. Select your emergency room arrival time and wait at home until your time to be seen.

At Paradise Valley Hospital, we strive to make it easier for you to handle life’s unexpected events. This service is just one more way that we are transforming the healthcare experience.

Certified Primary Stroke Center

The emergency room at Paradise Valley Hospital has been certified by the County of San Diego as a Primary Stroke Center. This means that we maintain the highest levels of prompt, quality care for the treatment of stroke where every second matters. We have been recognized by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association with “Gold Plus” awards for the treatment of stroke and heart failure.

Designated STEMI Severe Heart Attack Receiving Center

As a San Diego County-designated severe heart attack (STEMI) receiving center, Paradise Valley Hospital emergency physicians and nurses coordinate with emergency response personnel to begin life-saving cardiac care before the patient even gets here.

This special designation is only given to hospitals that have proven their staff can meet stringent standards for cardiac care. Working seamlessly together, the Paradise Valley Hospital emergency and cardiac catheterization (cath) lab teams ensure patients receive an interventional procedure, such as balloon angioplasty, within 90 minutes or less of arriving at the emergency department. This time frame achieves the best outcomes for heart attack patients.

 Triage

Patients are seen according to the seriousness of their medical conditions.

  • Critically ill patients are always seen before patients with less serious illnesses.
  • Ambulances frequently arrive with seriously ill patients whose immediate needs take priority over other waiting patients.

Quality care takes time. While every effort is made to make your stay as brief as possible, there are times when your visit may take several hours.

Other Services

Laboratory and Scans

It may be necessary to order blood tests, x-rays, or other types of tests to assist in diagnosis and treatment. Lab results generally take an hour, although your length of stay may increase when complicated tests or consultations with other specialists are necessary. Severely ill patients receive first priority. Our state of the art PACS system allows us to digitally record radiology scans, and therefore have those scans ready for evaluation almost instantaneously

Visitors

The number of visitors allowed in the emergency treatment area is limited. This helps maintain privacy for all patients. Visiting may also be restricted based on the condition of the patient as well as the numbers of patients in the treatment area.

Restroom

Check with emergency staff before using the restroom to determine the need for a specimen.

Discharge Procedures

You will receive home care instructions from our emergency services staff. If you do not have a primary care physician, these instructions will include the name of a physician referred for follow-up care.

If you have any questions once you are home, please feel free to contact the emergency department at 619-470-4141.

Insurance and Billing

Every patient has a right to be seen by a physician and receive a medical screening exam. Although your insurance may require pre-authorization for an emergency visit, federal law requires that we evaluate every patient for potentially life-threatening conditions regardless of insurance.

You also have the right to refuse treatment. Should you choose to refuse treatment, you will be asked to sign a release form. The hospital will bill you and your insurance.

You will receive separate bills from different departments within the hospital and from the emergency physicians. Because there are many insurance providers, and plans frequently change, we are unable to provide you with any information about your coverage. Please check with your insurance carrier for any questions.

Certain types of health insurance have restrictions and may specify the doctors or clinics available to you. It is your responsibility to call your insurance carrier for any clarification.

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