ER is always open for business
It's 2 a.m. Someone in the family is sick. Needing attention before morning, the decision is made to take the ill person to the emergency room.
Regardless of the hour or the day of the week or the injury or illness, the emergency room at St. Luke Hospital is always "open for business."
ER personnel always are available to treat people, more than 110 patients each month, in need of medical attention.
Summer months are the busiest, said Linda Kannady, registered nurse and day-shift supervisor. Lake visitors and children with injuries from activities, like bike riding and playing sports, are common this time of year.
During winter months, ER staff sees patients with illnesses like influenza and colds, and weather-related injuries due to slick roads and sidewalks.
"Being located near major highway systems contributes to our numbers," Kannady said. Travelers use the facility on a regular basis due to vehicular accidents and other emergencies.
The ER is staffed by the nurses who provide care to patients in the hospital.
"The 'wait time' is minimal," Kannady said. "When an emergency comes in, a nurse is right here, ready to take care of the situation."
Trained personnel
During the week, physicians from the local clinic, Marion Family Physicians, cover the 24-hour-call rotation.
The weekend rotation is two ER doctors from Kansas City and Wichita.
Dr. Greg Faimon has been coming to Marion on weekends for the past five years, Dr. Vadim Braslavsky the past four years.
"These are regular emergency medicine doctors," Kannady said. "We are very fortunate to have them."
All registered nurses at St. Luke Hospital are ACLS (advanced cardiac life support) certified. Four nurses, Kannady, Jan Moffitt, Paula Loveless, and Darlene Leeds are PALS (pediatric advanced life support) certified and have earned trauma nurse certification.
Kannady, Moffitt, and Kathy Utting will take a course this summer for emergency nurse pediatrics, designed for trauma-trained nurses.
"The nurses at St. Luke are highly-skilled and trained," said Jan Moffit, chief nursing officer. Training and education are important to Moffitt and her staff.
The skilled nursing staff follow specific protocol regarding certain medical conditions.
"If a patient comes in with chest pains, there are certain things the nurses can administer while the doctor is en route," Kannady said.
There is a minimum of two nurses providing inpatient care at the hospital. If additional nurses are needed, staff members are called and are willing to come in.
"We have a good staff," Kannady said. "Sometimes a nurse is needed to ride in the ambulance to transfer a patient to another facility and we need another nurse to come in. We make a few phone calls and always find someone willing to work."
Kannady attributes this to the size of the hospital and Marion.
"Being in a smaller community has its advantages," Kannady said.
State-of-the-art facility
The two-station emergency room is equipped with all necessary equipment and supplies. Treating more than 1,000 patients annually, the ER and staff are ready for any emergency or situation.
New monitoring equipment recently was purchased by the hospital. The equipment allows nursing staff to make quick and accurate assessments of patients to assist the physician.
A pediatric resuscitation kit is another recent purchase. The kit has a color-coded chart based on the length of the child.
Once the height of the child is determined, the nurse pulls the color-coded information which includes resuscitation guidelines for that size of patient and appropriate medications and dosages.
"This kit saves a lot of time," Kannady said.
If the two rooms become filled with patients, additional space is available in the minor procedure room and obstetrics.
What to expect
A person in need of emergency medical attention can enter the emergency treatment area through the front doors between the hours of 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. Between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., patients must go to the south ambulance entrance where an intercom is located.
Once hospital personnel electronically opens the door, the patient can enter the hallway where the emergency care center is located.
Personal and health information is requested and the nursing staff begins an evaluation.
The doctor on-call is telephoned once the patient is assessed.
"The doctors aren't afraid to send someone on to a specialist," Kannady said.
Transferring seriously ill and injured patients to another hospital is sometimes warranted.
The hospital is served by Life Team and Eagle Med helicopter ambulance services.
Kannady said most people who come to the ER wait until early morning instead of coming during the night.
"For the most part, people are considerate and know the doctor has a regular practice in the daytime," Kannady said. Generally, people try to wait but may find themselves needing attention and can't wait.
With the upcoming transition from Banner Health Systems to independent management, Kannady does not foresee any changes.
"All medical equipment will remain with the hospital," Kannady explained.
"The same quality of care will continue."
