| Show County Hospital Emergency Room On the Job 24 Hours Each Day By V V. A. A Paul Pauls Administrator I. I W W. Allen Hospital One of the most Important services provided b by your our hospital hospital hospital hos hos- pital Is that of ot Its It's Emergency Room As AJ with most of them this service s too operates for twenty-four twenty hours a day every everyday everyday everyday day of the year It is the most used single department of your hospital it is also the most misunderstood misunderstood misunderstood mis mis- understood and most abused Emergency room services are provided for a single essential purpose that Is the treatment of ot emergencies emergencies conditions condl conditions or situations usually arising from accidents which require immediate immedi ImmedI- I I ate care and treatment If the I health and lives of those in need Is to be preserved People who Just wander In or go to the hospital with minor complaints such as headaches sore throats colds and runny noses all represent represent represent rep rep- resent cases which could and should be checked at a doctors doctor's office These cases Interfere with the proper function of ot emergency emergency emergency emer emer- gency room services and waste the time of nursing personnel on duty as well as taking them away from their primary responsibility responsibility responsibility of caring for patients In Inthe Inthe inthe the hospital Proper cases for the attention of emergency room services include Include In In- clude dude children injured at play home accidents and homicide cases victims of automobile ups smash-ups Industrial accidents shot gun-shot wounds knife wounds and dog-bites dog potential suicides heart attacks and severe physical physical cal disorders Complaints for which a doctor should be called first and seen if indicated and which wh which ch should not be brought to the hospital except on a doctors doctor's orders Include Include include In In- clude minor illnesses or aliments ailments all ali ments trifling accidents which did not require Immediate attention attention at at- or any symptoms for which people just wish to see seea a doctor Doctors are not at atthe atthe atthe the hospital except to care for their patients in the hospital and they should not be called away from their work and care of ot others except for examInation examination examination examina examIna- tion and treatment as necessary for an emergency What about emergency room rooi service charges 1 The hospital emergency room Is in terms i of equipment and the host of suj supplies supplies sup sup- plies of drugs dressings instruments instruments ments etc constantly maintained maintaIned main main- and ready for immediate immedi- immedi ate use use another another major operal operatIng operating Ing room This coupled with th the continuous supervision of skilled and professional personnel tc together to- to gether ether with the substantial amount of clerical work required re required required re- re for essential records an and accounting adds up to high costs To help meet these costa costs cost a minimum service charge o of 3 00 is made Where else ever can you receive so much for s so little r Additional charges ar armade are made based on actual costs fo fouse for use of equipment which ma may have to be replaced or cleans cleaned and sterilized or application and administration of materIals material and drugs which must be Immediately Immediately immediately Im Im- im- im mediately replaced and time which also has a cost in case cas of ot lengthy and complicated ted procedures procedures pro pro- during which all that tha goes in to providing this servIce Is reserved exclusively for tor your care Complaints of ot high cost o of emergency room service and care come only from those who were making improper use of ol this facility facUlty a situation which might be compared to a person employing use of an ambulance when only a taxi was needed and then offering oftering the ambulance driver fifty cents for his service Why must we wait walt so long for tor emergency care Seldom does anyone wait walt long for emergency care when the need for attention attention atten atten- tion Is urgent Unfortunately a longer wait walt than appears justified justi justl tied fled Is sometimes due to the misuse misuse misuse mis mis- use and crowding of ot the emergency emergency emer omer gency room with non-critical non cases A patient may also have to wait walt because a more serious emergency his has come in The of ot attention and care In providing emergency services must by Its It's very nature always be 00 given Iven on the basis oasis of ot priority to the most urgent need What that can you do to help in preventing misuse of the Emergency Emergency Emer Emer- gency geney Room Service Do not call or go to the hospital ex except except ex- ex x In case of emergency emergency call call and see a doctor first Do not go to the hospital to accompany a i relative or friend or friend or Just out jf Qt curiosity when curIosity when the need for tor transportation or assistance in getting jetting there th re Is adequately tak tak- taken en sn care of without your help It it occurs all aU too frequently that doctors lectors and nurses are hampered th In n their efforts to give a patient needed attention attention to to which they are ire devoting all of their skill and ind knowledge because the emergency treatment area Is crowded with relatives II and n friends In addition to the physical physical physical cal interference this leads to spread pread of ot infection and an con of ot the very area in which strict observance of ot anti- anti antiseptic antiseptic septic techniques and behavior is II i so 0 e essential Your hospital Is fa a link in the wide nation chain of institutions provide the best beit care Inthe Inthe in the he world work for tor the people of ot this country Know your hospital know now its it's services s and use them Intelligently and wisely Po Do not trot abuse buse them Out of approximately 2000 visits Wit Itt to Emergency Service Inthe Inthe in the tie past year yeu less than half about or 40 could t be classed as emergencies J. 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