We understand that when you check into the ED, you are not feeling well. We see many different kinds of injuries and illnesses and are prepared for your visit. Our main priority is to have you get great care from our team as quickly and as comfortably as possible.

Why do patients have to wait to be seen in the ED?

The number one priority of an ED is to see and stabilize critically ill or seriously injured patients. Island Hospital’s ED has ten patient beds. In the ED, we are obligated to care for the sickest patients first. A triage nurse will assess your condition shortly after you arrive and you will be treated in order of severity. We can’t predict how many patients may arrive at any given time in the ED. No matter how long you have to wait, we understand it’s not ideal. We make every effort to make wait times as brief as possible. Your patience and understanding are appreciated.

At times when all rooms are full in the ED, hallway beds may be utilized to ensure that you are evaluated by a doctor or nurse as soon as possible.

If you believe your condition has changed since you arrived, please notify a team member.

How long will my visit be?

Every patient’s care plan will be different depending on the types of diagnostic tests and treatments that are ordered. Estimated wait times for certain tests and results:
• Lab work: 60 minutes
• X-ray: 75 minutes
• CT or ultrasound: 120 minutes
• MRI: 135 minutes

Based on the results of your testing, additional testing may be ordered.

What happens if I need to be admitted to the hospital?

We do our best to get you to an inpatient bed as soon as possible. When the hospital is at full capacity, we will care for you in the ED until a bed upstairs becomes available.

Island Hospital utilizes a Hospitalist Program that is made up of practitioners who specialize in caring for patients while in the hospital.

What happens when I’m discharged from the ED?

Upon discharge from the ED, you will be given a printed summary of your visit, which will include all tests, procedures, medications given and your plan of care. The summary will contain important instructions for you to schedule a follow-up visit with your own primary care physician or another physician/group. We encourage patients to schedule their follow-up appointments as soon as possible after their ED visit.

In addition, your summary information will be available to view on the myIslandHealth patient portal.

Don’t have a physician? Our staff can help. Call (360) 293-3101.

Margie Campbell, MSN, RN is the Director of the Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit and Acute Care Unit at Island Hospital.  Campbell has been a nurse for more than 31 years and a nurse leader for 21, overseeing multiple critical care units and emergency departments. Campbell has a true passion for the nursing profession. She notes, “I have never seen anything in my 30 years of nursing like what we have seen in the past two years. With the complexity of change in healthcare during this pandemic, I feel as a leader my most important job is to ensure nurses can continue to give safe and compassionate care to our community. I love our teams and I love nurses and want to support them through these very challenging times.