Emergency Services
Emergency Services
When sudden and severe illnesses affect you and your family, Little Company of Mary Medical Center’s Emergency Department is ready to help 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our board-certified ER physicians, nurses and specialty staff are trained to respond quickly to any emergency medical situation.
A Special Note on When to Use Emergency Care
It is important for patients to understand that Emergency Departments are for true emergencies. If you don’t know whether your emergency is life-threatening or not, take the safe approach and come in. However, if you don’t need this high level of care, consider options such as more affordable urgent care or a visit to your general practice physician.
The hospital has contracted with Southern California Emergency Medical Group to provide physician services in the Emergency Department. These physicians are independent contractors, not employees of the hospital, who contract separately with healthcare insurers and healthcare plans. As a result, they may not be in the same networks as the hospital. If you have any questions regarding whether these physicians are covered by your insurance, you should contact your insurance provider directly. To contact the ER group contracted to our hospital, please call (424) 570-5970.
We have a highly skilled and dedicated stroke team on standby around the clock, ready to immediately treat any stroke patient who comes through our doors. This team follows national standards and guidelines that significantly improve outcomes for stroke victims. Their dedication to stroke care qualifies our emergency department as a designated Stroke Center.
Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center San Pedro's SART (Sexual Assault Rape Team) Center, part of our Emergency Department, provides medical, emotional and legal care and support for sexual assault victims.
Through collaboration between the hospital, law enforcement agencies, forensic nurse specialists and sexual assault counseling advocates, the SART Center provides sensitive multidisciplinary care. SART’s goal is to counter the experience of sexual assault, support victims and bring those responsible to justice.
In emergency departments, major injuries take precedence over minor injuries. If a patient has a minor injury, they often find themselves waiting some time before receiving care.
Because minor injuries, such as sprains or lacerations, can be treated by a physician’s assistant or a nurse practitioner, we’ve developed a Fast Track System that helps provide immediate care for patients suffering from minor injuries. The system helps free up beds in the urgent care area and decreases wait time for less urgent cases.
Many individuals are often unsure whether a situation rises to the level of emergency. We ask that if you or a loved one are experiencing one of the following conditions, please call 911 immediately:
- Anaphylaxis (a life-threatening allergic reaction)
- Bloody diarrhea with weakness
- Chest pain
- Coma (unresponsive victim)
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Drug overdose
- Heart attack
- Heat stroke
- Shortness of breath
Who Gets Treated First
At Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center San Pedro's Emergency Department, we try to see patients in the order they arrive; however, several factors affect this. Patients are treated in the Emergency Department in order of urgency. If a patient with a serious condition comes in, they are seen before less urgent patients. Your wait time may increase depending on ambulance arrivals that you are not aware of. It is our goal and desire to have all patients seen by a healthcare practitioner within 30 minutes of arrival.
Patients with less urgent medical conditions, such as sprains or lacerations, receive treatment from a physician's assistant (PA) or a nurse practitioner (NP) in our "Fast Track" area. Therefore, some patients may be seen before you, but this is in an effort to provide everyone with the most effective care in the timeliest fashion. Fast Track benefits all patients by freeing up beds in the urgent care area and decreasing waiting time for less urgent cases. The Emergency Department physician reviews all Fast Track cases prior to discharge.
Visitors
Our Emergency Department staff welcomes visitors to remain with the patient. Visitors may be asked to leave for a few minutes when the patient is examined or when necessary treatments are administered. The Emergency Department is a secured area with authorized access only. Visitors are required to ask if they may visit a patient. Once inside the Emergency Department, please remain at that patient's bedside and respect other patients' privacy.
Antibiotics
Many people wonder if they need antibiotics. Typically antibiotics are used for conditions such as pneumonia, bladder infections and ear infections. Antibiotics are not useful for the common cold or stomach virus. The Emergency Department physician determines whether antibiotics are appropriate in each individual case. Antibiotics can lead to serious side effects such as rashes, diarrhea and drug resistance.
Pain Medications
The Emergency Department physician will address your pain and will order either oral or injection pain medication or both based on your medical history and nature of your illness.
Your Responsibility
- Notify your nurse or physician if at any time during your visit your symptoms worsen.
- You will be given a set of discharge instructions after your visit. Although the term on the instruction sheet may not exactly match your diagnosis, the information is specific for your condition. It is important that you understand and follow these instructions. If you have any questions before you leave, please discuss them with the nurse. If you have questions after you return home, please feel free to call the department at 310-514-5350 and ask for the Charge Nurse. We often call patients the next day to see how they are doing and to answer questions.
Follow-Up
You will be given information regarding follow-up. It is IMPORTANT that you follow-up with the healthcare provider as indicated. The Emergency Department physician cannot provide on-going medication prescriptions and care. A copy of your visit can be forwarded to your personal physician. As always, if your symptoms worsen before your personal physician or other healthcare provider can see you, please return to the Emergency Department immediately. If you do not have a personal physician, we will give you the name of the physician on-call or you may call our Health Resource Center at 800-618-6659 to find doctors who meet the needs of your entire family.
Accredited Geriatric Emergency Department
Seniors who visit our emergency department can be assured that we have the expertise, equipment and personnel in place to provide excellent, tailored geriatric care.
Our approach to geriatric care is driven by national standards and guidelines. Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center San Pedro’s emergency department has earned the Bronze Standard – Level 3 Geriatric Emergency Department (GEDA) accreditation from the American College of Emergency Physicians.
The protocol-driven approach to geriatric care allows us to provide superior, tailored care. Seniors who visit our emergency department can be assured that the facility has the necessary expertise, equipment and personnel in place to receive excellent geriatric care.