In the UAB Emergency Department (ED), getting help quickly is really important. There are many different reasons why people go to the ED, and sometimes there are a lot of patients waiting. To help with this, UAB uses a method called triage. This means that when people come in, the staff determine who needs help right away. Those with serious problems get seen first, while others may wait a bit longer. How long someone has to wait depends on how many people are there, how many doctors and nurses are available, and how many rooms are ready for patients.
UAB Medicine is also special because it is the only hospital in Alabama that has a Level 1 Adult Trauma Center status. This means that we are experts at treating really serious injuries, like head or spinal cord injuries, burns, and other critical conditions. A Level 1 Trauma Center provides complete care for people who have been badly hurt.
UAB Medicine is working hard to help patients get the care they need quickly and safely. We help people who are hurt or sick and educate the community about preventing injuries. We also teach others and do research to make trauma care better. Plus, our ED is part of the busiest stroke center in Alabama, helping about 200 patients every day.
Because UAB Medicine provides great care, more and more people want to come here for help. To keep up with this growth and make sure everyone gets the highest quality care, we started some important new programs. Here are a few things we are doing:
- We made it easier and faster for patients who needing mental health care to get admitted to the UAB Center for Psychiatric Medicine.
- We set up special check-ins called transition of care rounds to make sure patients get the care they need on time and can go home sooner.
- There’s also a team focused on making sure the hospital environment is safe and comfortable for everyone.
Overall, UAB Medicine wants to make sure that all patients feel cared for and can get the help they need as quickly as possible. UAB Medicine is making some important changes to help people get better care, including:
- Cleaning up new rooms: Special teams are quickly cleaning new rooms, so they can be used again right away.
- Better urgent care: To help more people get urgent care when they need it, UAB has set up:
- An Urgent Care Clinic
- UAB eMedicine, which is a way to get urgent care online
- An Emergency Department at UAB Hospital-Highlands
- A Freestanding Emergency Department at our UAB Medicine Gardendale location