LDS Hospital: Emergency Room Department
LDS Hospital Director of Patient Care Services Kari Jones says one of the most frequent reactions she gets from people is surprise that LDS Hospital, at 350 East 8th Avenue, is still open.
"It's interesting to me that after the transition to Murray [Intermountain Medical Center], a week doesn't go by that people don't say 'Oh, I didn't realize LDS was still here,'" Kari says. "We're here and we're ready to take patients."
In fact, the LDS Emergency Department has some of the quickest wait times of any hospital in the state, with an average "door to doc" time of 22 minutes. "We don't keep people in the waiting room," Kari says. "When you come in, you go to the triage window where you tell them your chief complaint."
From there, patients are quickly registered with the minimum amount of necessary information before being taken back to a patient room. The ER nurses are trained to begin patient care on most of the top complaints presented in the emergency room. For example, a person complaining about a kidney stone would get an immediate assessment from the nurse who would do a lab and get an IV started so that once the doctor arrives, the patient is ready to be treated.
"Our ER takes this very seriously. Patients who are in pain or just don't feel well don't want to wait an hour or more to be seen," Kari says.
LDS Emergency Department prides itself on its six-step strategy for providing patient care. The first step is the quick "door to doc" wait time. The second step is to provide doctors with the highest level of training in emergency medicine. "Even the people who draw blood earn patient praise for doing their job as quickly and painlessly as possible," Kari says.
The third step is to have a smart plan, meaning the hospital practices evidence-based medicine. "We do what's been proven to work and we do it quickly," Kari says.
The last three steps are using the latest life-saving technology, providing access to specialists and remaining committed to the individual. "The entire hospital is committed to treating people - not diseases," Kari says. "Each patient is unique and has their own fears, concerns and desires. We try to be conscious of those things as well as a person's clinical needs."
Kari recommends patients come to the emergency room prepared: bring identification and, if you can, a ride home in case you are given pain medication. She also cautions parents and caregivers, with the warm summer months around the corner, to be extra vigilant with children who display fevers, have no wet diapers and are not eating like they should. Other signs for people of all ages to watch for include nausea combined with vomiting or diarrhea, chest pain, severe fever, or significant falls or knocks to the head.
The emergency room is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays. LDS Hospital is at the cross section of 350 East 8th Avenue (400 North). The ER is on the east side of the hospital.
