The Emergency Department (ED) located on the Medical Center Campus, serves Vermont and northern New York. It is the oldest designated Level 1 Trauma Center in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and northern New York.

Click here for a brochure about our Emergency Department

Click here for our Emergency Department Patient Guide

Located within the ED is the Communication Center which provides continuous communication, dispatch functions and support 24/7 to Fletcher Allen Health Care, Fletcher Allen Health Care satellite facilities, local emergency medical services, and the FACT critical care transport team. These specialists are responsible for handling over 120 information and triage calls per day, and 55-65 ambulances per day.  Support staff includes unit secretaries, registration personnel, and housekeepers who are a vital part of the ED team. The ED sees an average of 150+ patient visits a day. 

The Emergency Department at Fletcher Allen Health Care is staffed by Board certified Emergency physicians 24 hours a day.  The attending physicians are assisted by physician assistants. Rotating through the department are intern level residents from Medicine, OB-GYN and Pediatrics. There are also advanced level Family Practice residents in the department. Up to seven medical students per month rotate in the department.

A typical visit to the Emergency Department begins at triage.  Here a patient will be met by a registered nurse who will evaluate a person’s injury or illness.  The triage process sorts patients based on severity.  This is not a first come, first served basis.  Anyone with life or limb threatening emergencies will be treated first. 

A visit to the Emergency Department can be scary for anyone, but this is especially true for children.  Here at Fletcher Allen Health Care we have dedicated pediatric rooms, equipment specific to each age group, as well as a separate waiting area that is child friendly.  We have the additional resource of Child Life specialists, specially trained staff members that assist children with their ED visits and procedures.  We have social services and case management resources to assist patients and families with difficult situations as they present themselves.  The Emergency Department has alliances with Howard Mental Health and First Call to meet our adult and pediatric crisis management needs.  Another of these very valuable resources is the Women’s Rape Crisis team.  These individuals respond 24/7 for victims of sexual assault. We have a core group of highly trained registered nurses who have become Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners(SANEs).  This is a program that prepares nurses to do a thorough forensic exam and treat victims of sexual assault.

  

Security provides 24-hour coverage for the department which enhances safety for patients,visitors and staff.  We also have a locked unit that limits the traffic through our very busy department.  Security officers assist with visitor passes to manage the volume of people that come to the department every day.

Electronic charting has become a mainstay in our department.  Our records are easier to retrieve, and user friendly for the patients, staff and providers.  They provide clear and concise instructions for patients upon discharge.

Our Fast Track service, located within the Emergency Department, is designed to treat minor illnesses and injuries. It is open 1pm-11pm daily, and is staffed by an Emergency Department physician assistant. Waiting times are frequently shorter in Fast Track.

Wait times for room placement and privacy issues have improved with the use of bedside registration.   Care can be started immediately, and any private insurance issues are taken care of at the bedside.  Registration also handles check-out in the department.  They ensure that billing will occur accurately and in a timely fashion.

A designated decontamination room with access directly from the ambulance bay was added as part of Fletcher Allen Health Care’s disaster management response team.   Members from a variety of disciplines make up our decontamination team that conducts drills monthly for disasters we hope will never happen.

Pre-hospital care is provided by both volunteer and paid ambulance squads. Our ED team works closely with these emergency medical technicians to help provide the best service possible for all Vermonters and our neighbors.   Many of our staff members are also volunteers on their area rescue and fire departments.  Our physicians provide on-line medical control for our local EMS District #3 area, as well as medical direction, continuing education and re-certification. Our new ambulance bay can accomodate 5-7 ambulances,compared to 2 ambulances at the previous facility and is well equipped to handle the more than 20,500 ambulances that come to our ED every year.   

 Click here to go to the Staff Only Page