An emergency can happen at any time. If you or a loved one faces an unexpected health crisis, you can count on the highly trained team at the Palo Pinto General Hospital (PPGH) Emergency Department to provide the high-quality care you need.
We provide expert care for all types of medical emergencies, including burns, lacerations, fractures, allergic reactions and substance use crises.
Our emergency department is a designated Level IV Trauma Center that is fully equipped to handle trauma patients around the clock. Connections to air and ground emergency services for urgent transportation are available, if needed.
What to Expect in the PPGH Emergency Room (ER)
As soon as you get to our ER, a friendly hospital staff member or volunteer will greet you. You’ll be asked to provide basic information about who you are and what brings you to the ER.
To minimize wait times, a triage nurse will take your vital signs and ask about your symptoms soon after you arrive. If you need medical attention right away, you’ll be taken to a treatment room to get it.
If you need lab work, an x-ray or CT scan as part of your care, you’ll be able to get it any time, day or night.
Our ER Doctors and Nurses
Our emergency team includes board-certified emergency medicine physicians, critical care nurses and other specialists dedicated to your health and safety.
All of our registered nurses have completed specialized training, including:
- Trauma Nursing Core Course.
- Pediatric Advanced Life Support/Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course.
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Basic Life Support.
Urgent Care Is Close By When You Need It
Some medical conditions can also be treated at our nearby urgent care center. Urgent care can be a good choice if you have a minor illness or injury or you can’t get in to see your healthcare provider.
The urgent care can also remove stitches that you had placed in the ER.
Emergency room or urgent care?
Emergency rooms (ERs) and urgent care centers serve very different purposes. When you need medical care right away, it helps to know which one is the better choice. This true-false quiz can help you learn the difference between them.
True or false: The main difference between an urgent care center and an ER is size.
False. The biggest difference between an urgent care center and an ER is the type of cases they can handle. When people have a condition that is life-threatening or could cause disability, they should go to the ER. If the problem is not that serious, urgent care may be a better choice.
True or false: Urgent care can be a good option if you have a health concern but can't get in to see your doctor quickly enough.
True. Urgent care centers can deal with minor illnesses like colds, the flu, earaches, sore throats and low-grade fevers. They can also handle non-life-threatening injuries, such as sprains, bruises, minor broken bones or minor eye injuries.
True or false: Both urgent care centers and ERs are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
False. ERs are open 24/7. Urgent care centers may be open 7 days a week, but with more limited hours that vary from location to location. Call ahead if you're unsure of an urgent care center's hours.
True or false: It's cheaper to be treated at an urgent care center than at an ER.
True. You're also likely to be seen and treated more quickly at an urgent care center. That's because urgent care centers see people on a 1st-come, 1st-served basis. ERs, on the other hand, treat patients based on the seriousness of their conditions.
True or false: If you or someone else has chest pain that lasts more than a few minutes, you should drive to an ER.
False. Call 911 instead. Chest pain is the most common symptom of a heart attack, and a heart attack is always an emergency. But don't drive to the ER—the condition could get worse on the way. Call 911 for immediate medical help.
Call 911 if:
- You're unsure that you're facing an emergency.
- The condition threatens life or limb.
- The person could get worse on the way to the hospital, or traffic is an issue.
- Moving the person could cause further injury.
Sources
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. "Emergency Severity Index (ESI): A Triage Tool for Emergency Departments." https://www.ahrq.gov/patient-safety/settings/emergency-dept/esi.html.
- American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine. "Frequently Asked Questions." https://aaucm.org/faq/.
- American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine. "Understanding the Scope of Urgent Care Practice." https://aaucm.org/what-is-urgent-care-medicine/.
- American College of Emergency Physicians. "Emergency Care, Urgent Care — What’s The Difference?" https://www.acep.org/siteassets/sites/acep/media/advocacy/value-of-em/urgent-emergent-care.pdf.
- American College of Emergency Physicians. "Emergency Care vs. Urgent Care." https://www.emergencyphysicians.org/article/er101/emergency-care-vs.-urgent-care-whats-the-difference.
- American College of Emergency Physicians. "ER 101." https://www.emergencyphysicians.org/article/er101/er-101.
- American Heart Association. "Warning Signs of a Heart Attack." https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-attack/warning-signs-of-a-heart-attack.
- MedlinePlus. "Choosing a Primary Care Provider." https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001939.htm.
- MedlinePlus. "When to Use the Emergency Room - Adult." https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000593.htm.
- MedlinePlus. "When to Use the Emergency Room - Child." https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000594.htm.