Emergency Services
We’re Ready When You Need Us
Suburban Community Hospital emergency care services are here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
Take comfort in knowing that the emergency care team at Suburban Community Hospital is here for you when you need us most to provide compassionate care as quickly as possible. Our team of specially trained physicians, nurses and technicians, using the most advanced protocols and technology, is available around the clock.
For more information about Emergency Services at Suburban Community Hospital, please call 610-278-2185.
About Our ER Wait Time
ER wait time is the average wait time for a patient to see a registered nurse during the triage (evaluation) process in our ER. After patients are triaged (evaluated), they are seen by qualified medical professionals in priority order, according to their medical condition and reason for visit. Times are approximate and provided for information purposes only.
Our Emergency Department strives to have the shortest wait times of any hospital in the Suburban Philadelphia area. Your time to see our highly qualified medical staff will be measured in minutes not hours.
We also are fully equipped to serve patients who are seriously injured or ill with complex diseases who require emergency care. Our teams are also able to consult with members of other specialized teams in the hospital to better assess, diagnose and care for you or your loved one.
Suburban Community Hospital Emergency Department is staffed by board-certified physicians and staff with extensive training in emergency medicine, including nurses and technicians.
Suburban Community Hospital knows how stressful medical emergencies can be and our innovative emergency department will help to increase your comfort and overall patient experience to serve you better and put your mind at ease.
GetCareNow – Reserve Your ER Arrival Time
For life-threatening emergencies call 9-1-1
Let us know you’re coming. Select your emergency room arrival time and wait at home until your time to be seen.
At Suburban Community Hospital, we strive to make it easier for you to handle life’s unexpected events. This service is just one more way that we are transforming the healthcare experience.
Our talented staff gives expert care to all patients in need of treatment. The physicians, nurses and other support personnel working in the Emergency Department are all specially trained in emergency medicine.
GEDA Accredited
The Emergency Department at Suburban Community Hospital is accredited as a Geriatric Emergency Department from the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). The accreditation recognizes the additional level of resources, education and multidisciplinary care initiatives implemented by Suburban Community Hospital to manage the treatment and well-being of geriatric patients when visiting the Emergency Department and their transition when they are discharged from the hospital. Less than 6 hospitals in Pennsylvania have been recognized with this accreditation.
Stroke Center
Suburban Community Hospital is designated as a Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission, in collaboration with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA).
When patients display stroke-like symptoms, early diagnosis and treatment are crucial. We are focused on providing rapid diagnosis using the treatment and guidelines developed by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Get With the Guidelines-Stroke Program to treat stroke patients when they are admitted to the emergency department.
What is a medical emergency?
Call 911 if you or someone with you may be experiencing any of these symptoms that require immediate medical attention:
- Head or eye injuries
- High fevers
- Fevers with rash
- Repeated vomiting
- Broken bones and dislocated joints
- Severe headache
- Severe cough or shortness of breath
- Serious burns
- Bleeding that won’t stop or an open wound
- Seizures without a previous diagnosis
- A sudden change in mental state
- Suicidal or homicidal feelings
- Severe stomach and abdominal pains: with or without blood in vomit or stool, fever, injury, or difficulty breathing
- Any weakness or concern for a stroke: Face drooping, arm and leg weakness or numbness, speech difficulty, confusion, and change in mental status
- Chest pain or difficulty breathing could include: Pain, heaviness or pressure in the chest, pain down the arms, back, jaw, neck, or upper abdomen, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, breaking out in a cold sweat and extreme fatigue
Why choose suburban community hospital for your emergency care?
We evaluate and treat life-threatening and less severe emergencies quickly.
Our emergency medical specialists collaborate with every medical and surgical area of expertise. Criticality ill or injured patients and patients requiring intensive care are always given priority.
Our main goal at Suburban Community Hospital Emergency Department is to evaluate for emergent medical conditions and help stabilize them. We strive to provide reassurance to help you feel better.
What happens when I arrive?
There are two ways that you or your loved one may arrive in the emergency department at Suburban Community Hospital, either by walk-in or by ambulance. Below, we have outlined what you can expect in both situations.
Walk-in arrivals
Present yourself to the registration desk. The registration clerk will update any important information in your file, including address, phone number, the name of your family physician and the name of your emergency contact.
Then you will see the triage nurse who will take a quick assessment and decide how quickly you will need to see a doctor. Depending on your symptoms, the nurse may begin some tests such as bloodwork right away.
Ambulance arrivals
Patients who are transported to the hospital by ambulance will be evaluated and initially assessed and directed to the appropriate level of care pathway. Your care may start in the triage area, or you may be placed directly into an available bed. After a quick check-in, registration will be completed.
What happens next?
Once you are assigned to a bed or area in the emergency department the following will take place:
·You will be assessed by a physician assistant and/or doctor
·A care plan will be developed
·Treatments and/or tests will be ordered
·The doctor will then determine if further testing is required or whether you should be admitted to the hospital or sent home.