Prepared for the Unexpected

When a 9-1-1 call is received, the dispatchers send local fire departments and ambulances to the scene. Paramedics/emergency medical technicians (EMT) examine the patient’s injuries and are trained to recognize injuries that may be better treated at a trauma center.

Per directives from the Paramedics/EMT command center, severely injured patients will be brought directly to North Oaks Shock Trauma Center. Often a helicopter is used to move a patient from the scene or transferring hospital - this decision not made by North Oaks. If you are from an outlying region, you may be transported to your local hospital for stabilization before being sent to North Oaks Shock Trauma Center.

Emergency Department

On arrival at North Oaks Medical Center Emergency Department (ED), patients are taken into our trauma room and met by staff members with specific duties, including: trauma/critical care certified surgeons, specially trained trauma nurses, X-ray and lab technicians, emergency department physicians. Sometimes patients are admitted to the hospital from the ED. Others with minor injuries are treated and discharged.

Family Care

Every effort will be made to keep family members advised of the patient’s condition once the patient has been properly assessed and stabilized in the ED. Depending on the type of medical care the patient needs, the nurses will help get you in to see your loved one as soon as possible. The nursing staff will attempt to keep the family updated in the meantime.

At this critical time only immediate family may visit. If you have important information about the patient’s medical history, allergies, and medications, or if you witnessed the incident, please let the nurses know as soon as possible so this can be relayed to the trauma team.

Admission.

After treatment in the ED, patients may need to go to the operating room. Sometimes this has to happen quickly in order to save the patient’s life. The surgeon will talk briefly to the family, and then the nurse will show the family where to wait.

Staff will ask that a family member stay with a minor child or a confused patient. Please be aware that staff members need room to work around the patient. We ask that you limit the number of items that you bring from home to keep the treatment area clear.

Intensive Care.

If the patient is admitted to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit, only immediate family will be allowed. Often, critically injured patients must be put on a ventilator / breathing machine. When this happens, patients are given medication to make them sleep and will not be awake.

Please keep cell phones in quiet mode. Taking pictures is not allowed in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit.

Please be aware of restricted visiting hours.

Trauma patients from outlying facilities in our region may be transferred to North Oaks for a higher level of care. If patients need services North Oaks Medical Center does not provide, they will be transferred to another facility for care.

North Oaks Medical Center does not have a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Children with serious burns or injuries will be stabilized. Then, the trauma surgeon will talk with the parents / guardians to explain the injury and discuss which facility the child will be transferred to. These decisions are always made with the patient’s best outcome in mind.

If you are a health-related professional from a transferring facility and would like to transfer a trauma patient, please call (985) 230-1346.

Discharge planning begins on the day of admission - your needs are evaluated constantly until the day you leave the hospital. Doctors, nurses, case managers and social workers along with the patient and family, work together for a smooth transition back home or to the next phase of care. If help is needed at home, the discharge team may assist in setting up home health or other home care. Some patients are discharged from the hospital to a rehab center or skilled nursing home to continue their recovery.

You have suffered a significant injury that may take several weeks or even months to heal. If you still feel pain or discomfort, prescriptions for pain medication will be provided on the day of discharge. Your caregiver will give you instructions on how to manage your pain and pain medication before you leave the hospital. Before you go home, a follow-up appointment may be made with your primary care or referring doctor. If you continue to experience pain, please tell your doctor during your follow-up visit.