NJBIZ newspaper has named CentraState Healthcare System the 17th best place to work in New Jersey among large employers in The Garden State. Watch more here from the Emergency Department.
CentraState's Emergency Department (ED) is a state-of-the-art Level II emergency facility designed, equipped and staffed to provide prompt, quality emergency care for patients of all ages 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
A recent, comprehensive, $10 million ED expansion project ensures that CentraState can keep pace with the increasing demand for high-quality, efficient emergency medical care in our service area. We guarantee that ED outpatients—those treated and released, not admitted to the hospital—will be seen by a nurse within 15 minutes and examined by a physician or nurse practitioner within 30 minutes, or that portion of the visit is free.
The expansion nearly doubled the size of the ED to 32,000 square feet and increased the number of treatment rooms to 48—44 of which are private. All rooms are equipped to provide critical care, while offering amenities such as flat-screen LCD televisions and private phones.
Emergency Treatment Areas
The forward-thinking, flexible design of the new ED has resulted in a self-sufficent, technologically advanced center with broad diagnostic and treatment capabilities. It also allows for areas of highly specialized emergency care.
The ED features a First Care area for minor injuries, an Acute Care area for life-threatening emergencies, such as chest pains and shortness of breath, an Intermediate Care area for everything in between, a mental health assessment and treatment area, and a dedicated pediatric emergency care area.
The CentraExpress service operates in the ED reception area during the department's highest-volume times. It is designed to get adults and children with minor medical complaints—such as a sore throat, simple rash or grit in the eye—treated and released in 30 minutes when X-rays aren’t required. CentraExpress is open seven days a week from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.
The ED's Star and Barry Tobias Emergency Pediatric Care area includes five private rooms decorated specifically for children. A board-certified pediatric emergency physician is on duty around the clock.
Around-the-Clock Stroke Response
Certified by the state as a Primary Stroke Center, CentraState is among an elite group of hospitals with a specially trained "Stroke Alert" response team, available around the clock, consisting of an ED physician, ED nurse, and stroke coordinator. The team assesses patients immediately upon their arrival at the Emergency Department and initiates appropriate treatment, which may include the administration of a "clot busting " medication. When a patient is experiencing any of the stroke symptoms, every second counts in preventing or limiting damage to brain tissue.
Technology Expedites Services
New systems are in place to simplify and expedite the admission and treatment of patients. For example:
The new Physio-Control LIFENET System helps speed up treatment for heart attack patients, which is critical in saving lives and reducing damage to the heart muscle. This Internet-based technology allows our ED to receive essential clinical information about a patient’s condition while the patient is en route to the ED in a MONOC ambulance equipped with the system. The patient’s cardiogram (EKG) and vital signs are transmitted to electronically so a team of healthcare professionals, including a cardiologist, can view, evaluate and start planning the patient’s care even before the patient arrives. CentraState is the first hospital in Monmouth or Ocean Counties to implement this service.
A new charting system and portable computer workstations allow patients to be triaged, admitted and charted at their bedside, ensuring that the ED staff devotes less time to paperwork and more to patients and the family or friends who accompany them. The installation of a dedicated CT scanner in the ED means that patients don't have to be transported to another area of the hospital for these diagnostic scans.
A pneumatic-tube communication system with the ED satellite laboratory helps speed up test results.
The installation of a dedicated CT scanner in the ED means that patients don't have to be transported to another area of the hospital for these diagnostic scans.
Key to our ability to deliver efficient, effective and compassionate care in the most critical of circumstances is our capable and knowledgeable ED staff, many of whom have more than 10 years experience in emergency medicine.
Using new techonology called the VeinViewer Imaging System, ED nurses are able to clearly view veins, so starting an intravenous (IV) or obtaining bloodwork is as painless as possible.
Health Profile Card
The Emergency Department has created a portable Health Profile Card to prevent adverse drug reactions and allergic responses. The card, which is filled out by the bearer, is designed to fit into a wallet or purse so it can be carries at all times and be easily accessible in the case of a medical emergency.
The Health Profile Card is free to the public and is available at the ED and various health events staffed by CentraState.
To download your free card, check the Related Documents box to the right, and click on Health Profile Card.
Pediatrician On Site 24/7
Children benefit most from seeing pediatricians—physicians specially trained in children’s health. That’s why pediatricians staff our Emergency Department around the clock, seven days a week.
Additionally, the Star and Barry Tobias Emergency Pediatric Care area of our Emergency Department includes five private rooms decorated in child-friendly themes. Youngsters and parents alike appreciate the large, flat-screen LCD television in each room, which can contribute to a more comforting environment for an apprehensive child.
Patient Privacy Pagers
To enhance patient privacy, walk-in patients arriving at the Emergency Department now receive a restaurant-style pager at check-in that silently alerts them when the triage nurse is ready to see them. The process enhances confidentiality by eliminating the need to call the patient’s name aloud.
The pager, which resembles a television remote-control device, vibrates and lights up when the triage nurse presses a specific number on a console in her office, indicating she is ready to see the particular patient. A staff member cleans and disinfects each pager before returning it to the charging tower at the ED greeter’s station.
