Expert Emergency Care, 24/7

Every day, 24 hours a day, Bayfront Health Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda’s emergency room doctors, nurses and other health care staff are available to provide you and your loved ones with expert care. Our highly trained staff can provide care for everything from cuts and broken bones to life-threatening conditions such as heart attack or stroke. We provide efficient, prompt and compassionate care, and offer:

• Multi-functional treatment rooms for patients with varied conditions.
• A dynamic ER design focused on providing a better experience for patients and visitors.
• Highly qualified, dedicated health care professionals who are committed to the highest standards of care.
• A continued commitment to keep wait times to a minimum.

A better experience for patients

When you come to the emergency room, you want immediate attention. Through our ER program, we work hard to make sure every patient receives high-quality care in the most timely, comfortable and efficient manner. We believe our patients’ loved ones deserve the same attention to quality care, so we do our best to ensure they are well informed and as comfortable as possible. Bayfront Health Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda are dedicated to improving the emergency room experience.

Clinical Decision Unit

Saving Time in Emergency Situations

Saving time in emergency health situations, Bayfront Health Punta Gorda’s Clinical Decision Unit provides quick and efficient patient assessments. The Clinical Decision Unit tests and cares for those who may not need to be admitted to the hospital.

An extension of the Emergency Room, the Clinical Decision Unit focuses on patients experiencing chest pain. The goal of the Clinical Decision Unit is to fully test, assess, and observe a patient in an expedient twelve hours and to determine if admission to the hospital is necessary due to a true cardiac issue.

Patients undergo testing and observation before further action is taken to ensure the patient’s care. Definitive diagnosis requires analysis of serial cardiac enzymes, tested every two, four, and six hours. The Clinical Decision Unit’s staff of highly trained physicians and nurses monitors these serial enzymes in order to determine the next step, whether further testing or admission to an inpatient program is required.

Adding Life to Your Years

Due to the high standards of care provided by the multidisciplined staff, patients are assured safety and care. The Clinical Decision Unit benefits patients and the community through:

• High standards of patient care
• Decreased length of hospital visit
• Decreased unnecessary hospital admissions

For more information on the Clinical Decision Unit at Bayfront Health Punta Gorda, call (941) 639-3131.

For less waiting and faster care, count on our emergency room.

In a medical emergency, every minute matters. So, at Bayfront Health Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda, you’ll find faster care in the emergency room. We work diligently to have you initially seen by a medical professional with the shortest wait time possible.* And, with a team of dedicated medical specialists, we can provide a lot more care, if you need it.

So what exactly is the ‘30-Minutes-or-Less ER Service Pledge’?

When patients enter the Emergency Department at Bayfront Health Port Charlotte and Bayfront Health Punta Gorda, the time of their arrival will be noted. Our pledge is that a medical professional (physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner) will work diligently to have our patients initially seen within 30 minutes of their noted arrival.

Does this mean patients will be on their way home in 30 minutes or less?

No. We will work hard to have a medical professional initially see our patients and begin their evaluation and treatment within 30 minutes of their noted arrival. Depending on the nature of their illness or injury, and the unpredictable volume of patients requiring emergency care at any given time, the wait time and duration of each visit will vary.

How is the timeframe of patients’ visits documented for this pledge?

When a patient arrives and checks in, the time of arrival will be noted. When the medical professional initially sees the patient, the time will be documented by the Emergency Department staff.

Is a ‘30-Minutes-or-Less ER Service Pledge’ really necessary for an emergency room?

In many emergency rooms across the country, wait times have been increasing. We want to assure our patients that we are dedicated to not only offering quality care but also to working diligently to provide that care as efficiently as possible.

When do the 30 minutes officially start?

The 30 minutes start when the patient checks in with our staff at the Emergency Room reception/registration desk.

Does the ‘30-Minutes-or-Less ER Service Pledge’’ affect how patients are prioritized?

While the goal is to initially see every patient within 30 minutes of their noted arrival, the most severe cases will always receive immediate attention.

How can the Emergency Department maintain quality care if speed is the priority?

It is not our objective now, nor will it ever be, to “rush” patients through the Emergency Department. Our process improvements have been focused on getting patients into a room as quickly as possible and enabling the medical professional to initially see a patient and begin their diagnosis and treatment in a timely manner.

Is the ‘30-Minutes-or-Less ER Service Pledge’ in effect at all times and does it apply to all ages – infants to senior citizens?

Yes.

Do I have to wait up to 30 minutes for someone to say, “May I help you?”

Absolutely not. Emergency Department staff will greet you as soon as you come in, and a nurse will assess your condition through a triage process. We know your time is valuable and we pledge to work diligently to have a medical professional initially see you within 30 minutes of your noted arrival.

Does this cost more?

No.

The 30-Minutes-Or-Less E.R. Service Pledge – at Bayfront Health Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda.

* The ED wait time represents the time it takes from arrival until a patient is initially seen by a medical professional (physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner). Patients are triaged upon their arrival in the ED. They are then seen by a medical professional in an order based on their complaint, condition, and the reason for their visit. While many patients are initially seen by a medical professional within 30 minutes of their arrival, during some peak times when the number of patients and/or trauma situations exceeds the number of providers or beds, some patients are not initially seen within 30 minutes of their noted arrival.