Meriter's Emergency Services Department (ED) is open 24 hours a day, every day, to anyone who needs emergency treatment.

Our ED

     
Our ED prides itself on its easy access to care and treatment. There are three separate entrances – one for patients arriving on their own, one for ambulance patients and one for patients contaminated by hazardous materials. All three entrances are visible from the nursing triage area and security station.

Our waiting room features a television, current reading materials and oxygen hook-ups for pulmonary patients. Beverage and food vending machines are nearby for family and friends of patients.

The 19,800-square-foot ED features four trauma/major medical rooms. Two trauma/major medical rooms are equipped with customized columns that hold all the gas, electrical and monitoring equipment, thereby providing a cord-free area around the patient. Additionally, there is a private family room adjacent to these rooms.

The ED also has a state-of-the-art hazmat/decontamination room to facilitate decontamination procedures for multiple patients. Other features of Meriter's ER include:

• Four major treatment and trauma rooms
• Two gynecology rooms
• Pediatric exam rooms
• Two orthopedic rooms
• An ear/nose/throat room that also can be used for emergency dental care
• An isolation room for treating infectious diseases
• A medical imaging room
• Reading lights and televisions in most of the treatment rooms
• TDD devices for the deaf in each emergency room
• A latex-safe environment, meaning all latex has been eliminated in favor of alternative products when available
• Interpreter services

When to Call 911

       
Medical emergencies happen far more often than you may think. In Madison, one of every three persons is treated for a medical emergency each year. Chances are that you, a close friend or family member will need emergency care during the course of an average year. Because seconds can make a difference, it's important to become familiar with the emergency numbers in your area. If you live in Dane County and have a life-threatening emergency or need an ambulance, call 911.

Life-threatening situations require immediate medical intervention. Call 911 whenever the following symptoms are involved:

• Loss of consciousness
• Chest pain, as described below
• Difficulty breathing
• Extensive burns
• Weakness to one side of the body or difficulty speaking
• Poisoning
• Severe allergic reactions
• Severe, unaccustomed headache
• Chemical injuries

These are only examples, of course; you must use your own judgment to decide if an ambulance is needed.

Chest Pain Center - Our Services for Patients Experiencing a Heart Attack

Meriter is proud to have Madison's only accredited Chest Pain Center. People who come to the ED with chest pain receive a rapid clinical assessment to determine if they are having electrocardiogram changes, abnormal lab tests and are having a heart attack that requires them to go directly to the cardiac catheterization lab for speedy treatment.

During a heart attack, time is muscle. Door to Cardiac Catheterization lab averages 70 minutes. (This exceeds the results of a group of hospitals dedicated to improving heart care - the National Registry of Myocardial Infarction - which averages 90 minutes.) Meriter ES is part of the Chest Pain Center and the Cardiovascular Center of Excellence.

Early Heart Attack Warning Symptoms

   
Know the signs of heart attack. Doing so will help you take the steps you need to possibly save your life.

Many times there is a combination of these symptoms, and symptoms can sometimes begin days or even weeks ahead of the actual heart attack. Any person who is experiencing any of these symptoms should Call 911. Getting to the hospital quickly so an early diagnosis can be made prevents or minimizes heart damage.