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Emergency Services

The Emergency Department of Clay County Hospital is a Level III – Type Service. Twenty-four-hour care is provided to patients ranging from neonate, infant, pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric age groups.  Medical, surgical, trauma, and psychosocial problems are encountered. Some illnesses are chronic, while the majority of patients present with acute situations.  No exception is given to age, race, sex, color, creed, or financial status.  Every effort is made to meet the psychosocial problems and differences in culture of those who present for service. There is 24-hour emergency room physician coverage provided by MEDS. Excellent care is available to you 24 hours a day.

Hospital emergency rooms (EDs) are set up to focus on medical emergencies. They are not set up to focus on routine health care. If you go to the ED for a problem that is not an emergency, it will cost a lot more than it would at your doctor’s office.  A trip to the ED for an earache, for example, may cost three to four times as much as it would at your doctor’s office. You will get care from a doctor who has probably never seen you before.

It is always best to get as much of your care as you can from a doctor who knows and understands you. Go to the ED if you think you are having a medical emergency. That is what the ED is for. Otherwise, call your doctor’s office first. It will save you time and money.

Your Visit

• The average time in the Emergency Department is 2 hours or less.
• 70% of Clay County Hospital’s Emergency Department patients are treated and released in four (4) hours or less.
• If a patient in a critical condition presents during your Emergency Room visit, the staff’s focus may be shifted to the more critical patient – this is often referred to as triage.
• However, every effort will be made to meet your needs and make your visit as comfortable as possible.
• In the interest of the patient’s health, visitors may be limited.
• New emergencies can interrupt at any moment.

Phone Numbers

Clay County Hospital: (618) 662-2131
Medical Emergency: 911