Emergency Department

Barstow Community Hospital's Emergency Department is equipped and staffed to respond to all emergencies on a 24-hour basis.  A licensed physician is on-duty at all times along with nursing and ancillary staff who have specialized training in cardiac, medical, pediatric and trauma emergencies.

30-Minutes-or-Less ER Service Pledge

What exactly is the 30-Minutes-or-Less ER Service Pledge?
When patients enter the Emergency Department at Barstow Community Hospital, the time of their arrival is noted. Our pledge is that a physician or clinical professional* will initially see them within 30 minutes of their arrival.

When do the 30 minutes officially start?
The 30 minutes start when the patient checks in with our staff at the Emergency Room desk.

Does the 30-Minutes-or-Less ER Service Pledge affect how patients are prioritized?
While the goal is to initially see every patient within 30 minutes, the most severe cases will always receive immediate attention.

How is the timeframe of patients' visits documented for this pledge?
When a patient arrives and checks in, the time of arrival is noted. When the physician or clinical professional initially sees the patient, the time is documented by the Emergency Department staff.

What was the average time a patient waited before?
We have been tracking patient wait times for the last year in preparation for the 30-Minutes-or-Less ER Service Pledge. Our wait times have consistently averaged less than 30 minutes.

Does this mean patients will be on their way home in 30 minutes or less?
No. We will work hard to have a physician or clinical professional initially see our patients and begin their evaluation and treatment within 30 minutes. Depending on the nature of their illness or injury, the duration of each visit will vary.

Is a 30-Minutes-or-Less ER Service Pledge really necessary for an emergency room?
In many emergency rooms across the country, wait times have been increasing. We want to assure our patients that we are dedicated to not only offering quality care but also providing that care as efficiently as possible.

How can the Emergency Department maintain quality care if speed is the priority?
It is not our objective now, nor will it ever be, to "rush" patients through the Emergency Department. Our process
improvements have been focused on getting patients into a room as quickly as possible and enabling our physician or clinical professional to initially see a patient and begin their diagnosis and treatment in a timely manner.

* Disclaimer
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 9-1-1.

Clinical professional is defined as a physician assistant or nurse practitioner.

The Emergency Department (ED) average wait time is provided as an informational service to the public. It is approximate, and based on a rolling average that is updated four times an hour and does not represent the actual current activity in the ER waiting room.

The ED wait time represents the time it takes from arrival until a patient is initially seen by a Physician. Patients are triaged upon their arrival in the ED. They are then seen by a Clinical Professional in an order based on their complaint, condition, and the reason for their visit.

While many patients are initially seen by a clinical professional within 30 minutes of their arrival, during some peak times when the number of patients and/or trauma situations exceeds the number of providers or beds, some patients are not initially seen within 30 minutes of their noted arrival.

Should you have any additional questions about our 30-Minute Pledge, please ask any of our Emergency Department staff.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Will I Have to Wait?
Our pledge is that a clinical professional (physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner) will work diligently to have our patients initially seen within 30 minutes of their noted arrival.

Based on your illness or injury, the physician or clinical professional may order complex tests while you are in the Emergency Department. These are general estimates of the time required to get test results:

• Medication administration: within 30 minutes
• Blood tests: 1 ½-2 hours
• EKGs: 10-20 minutes
• X-rays: 30-60 minutes
• Ultrasound: 1-2 hours
• CT scans: 1-4 hours

Our staff works hard to provide prompt care. Wait times will vary depending on room availability and how many patients with life-threatening illnesses or injuries need care. Please remember: your own primary care physician is the first choice for non-life threatening care.

Can I Have Visitors?
Visitors are welcome in the ED reception area, but the ED is a very busy place, so only one visitor is allowed at a time. If the patient is a child both parents are permitted to remain with the patient unless other children in the family require a parent’s attention in the reception area or away from the ED.

There may be circumstances when visitors are not permitted. The ED reserves the right to restrict visitors at any time when space and situations warrant a temporary reduction in visitors to better serve all of our patients.

Visitors are asked to stay clear of hallways and doorways, and to make phone calls outside.

Visiting children younger than 14 are not allowed in the ED. Under no circumstance should visiting children be left unattended. For the health of our community and especially our younger members, we ask that visiting children stay in the reception area under the watchful eye of an adult.

As a precautionary measure in reducing the spread of infection, when possible please keep the number of visitors to a minimum, even in the reception area. Wash your hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer, which is available throughout the ED.

May I Have Medication for Pain?
Often pain medication can hide symptoms, so medication is only given after you have seen the physician. Let the staff know if you are in pain and other accommodations may be provided.

May I Eat or Drink?
Some tests require an empty stomach. Therefore, it is not recommended that you eat or drink unless you have a medical condition that requires food or drink.

Communicating with You

In an effort to keep you updated throughout your visit, we strive to check in regularly with patients and visitors in our reception room and in the patient rooms. This “rounding” is similar to our practice of hourly rounding on all patients admitted to our hospital. Rounding is another component of our dedication to patient safety and satisfaction.

We encourage you to share your experience with any member of the staff. If, for some reason, we did not meet your expectations, please let us know before you leave. You may also call the Director of the Emergency Department at 760-957-3012.

As part of our commitment to quality care, you may receive a phone call from one of our staff members who will check to make sure you understand your discharge instructions and to find out if you need further information from a nurse. During this call, you will also have the opportunity to share your experience in our Emergency Department. Most often, this call is from the phone number 760-957-3000, so please watch for this number on your caller ID.

Barstow Community Hospital's Emergency Department is an approved "Safe Surrender Site"