UnityPoint Health - Trinity Muscatine - Emergency Department
Information
Number of patients waiting reflects the current number of patients waiting to be seen. This number changes frequently and is not exact.
Emergency and Trauma Services
In an effort to provide the highest level of care for critically injured patients in western Illinois and eastern Iowa, a trauma program has been coordinated between Trinity's four hospital campuses, and city and county emergency services to ensure a rapid response for the delivery of care to injured patients.The Trauma Service recognizes trauma as a surgical disease requiring speed in field assessment and transportation, identification of injuries, stabilization in the emergency department and surgical intervention to ensure the best possible patient outcome.
Trinity is committed to the provision of optimal trauma care along with the development of its Trauma Service and the implementation of a comprehensive hospital wide trauma care program consistent with the trauma center rules and regulations established by the Department of Public Health.
Trinity Muscatine campus is verified as a Level IV Trauma Center in the state of Iowa.
What is a Trauma Center?
Based in a hospital, a trauma center has dedicated considerable time, equipment and facilities to the care of severely injured patients. Nurses, physicians and ancillary hospital personnel are highly skilled and trained in the emergency and trauma treatment of these patients. The pre-hospital trauma system in our community also plays an important role in the transport of these critically injured patients. The goal is to get the right patient to the right place at the right time. Even though the quality of care is expected to be similar throughout all levels of trauma care, the severity and the volume of injured patients is higher at a Level II Trauma Center.
The trauma team at Trinity is multi-disciplinary and includes:
- Emergency department physicians
- General/Trauma surgeons
- Trauma trained nurses
- Pediatric nurses
- Critical care nurses
- Laboratory
- Radiology
- Respiratory therapy
- Pastoral care
- Social services and case management
- Surgery/PACU/anesthesia
- Rehab
- Security
Know Before You Go
In an EMERGENCY, call 911 or go to a hospital-based Emergency Department (ED) like UnityPoint Health - Trinity to receive lifesaving care. Hospital-based emergency rooms like Trinity Muscatine are different than freestanding ED's because hospitals are equipped with more resources necessary to quickly save a life when minutes matter. A hospital offers services like heart catheterization labs to open blocked heart arteries faster and operating rooms for procedures that can't wait.People who choose a freestanding ED that's not attached to a hospital may be charged just as much as a hospital-based ED visit and may also have to be transferred by ambulance to a hospital in order to receive a higher level of care. For more serious or complex issues like a heart attack or stroke, a hospital-based ED is a better choice. Trinity Muscatine has been honored for top heart and stroke care. Also, an ambulance transfer from a free-standing ED may or may not be covered by insurance based on the situation and the hospital you choose to go to.
What Type of Appointment Do I Need?
Primary Care encompasses the comprehensive treatment of a number of diseases in symptoms and specialties including pediatrics, internal medicine and family medicine. Rather than specializing in one particular area of medicine, the physician is trained to meet all the needs of patients as one point of contact. Same-day appointments may be available. Call your clinic or log in to MyUnityPoint to schedule with your provider or a member of their care team.
Examples of symptoms and conditions treated by a primary care provider can include:
- Allergies
- Cancer screenings (for select cancers)
- Disease management (asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, etc.)
- Long term care or treatment planning
- Managing existing conditions (migraines, depression, anxiety, arthritis, etc.)
- Medication refill and medicine checks
- Minor medical problems and injuries
- Ongoing symptoms (continued back pain, skin problems, etc.)
- Physicals/sports physicals
- Substance abuse
- Vaccinations
Urgent Care and Express treat minor medical problems and injuries that are not life-threatening, but need the attention of a health care provider. These are not an alternative to the emergency room, but offer the ability to get walk-in care without an appointment for all patient ages. Urgent Care is available after hours, weekends and holidays. Our Urgent Care Clinics can provide medical treatment for minor illness and injuries such as:
- Allergies
- Burns
- Colds
- Coughs
- Cuts (Stitches)
- Earaches or Ear Infections
- Fevers
- Minor Medical Problems and Injuries
- Minor Eye Care
- Flu
- Fractures (X-Ray On-Site at Most Locations)
- Infections
- Sore Throats
- Sprains, Including Sprained Ankles (X-Ray On-Site at Most Locations)
- Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)
- Yeast Infections
- Certain Rapid Tests
Please note: Flu shots, physicals and/or sports physicals are not offered at every urgent care location.
*If you are experiencing chest pain or shortness of breath, please go to the Emergency Department or call 911 immediately. For less serious medical issues, such as physicals, medication refills or to leave a message for your primary care doctor, you can access your My UnityPoint patient portal 24/7!
Connect with a UnityPoint Health provider online using MyUnityPoint to access virtual urgent care. Virtual care doctors can diagnose, recommend treatment and prescribe medication when necessary for commonly treated conditions. Available every day, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for individuals 2 years and older located in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and South Dakota.
Virtual care should be used for minor, common ailments and illnesses. Some examples, and the qualifying age to receive virtual urgent care for that condition, include:
| Condition | Virtual Urgent Care |
|---|---|
| Acne | 2+ |
| Burn | 2+ |
| Cold/Flu | 2+ |
| Cold Sores | 13+ |
| Constipation | 2+ |
| Cough/Upper Respiratory Infection | 2+ |
| Diarrhea | 2+ |
| Fever | 2+ |
| Head Lice | 2+ |
| Heartburn | 2+ |
| Headache/Migraine | 18+ |
| Joint Pan | 2+ |
| Rash | 2+ |
| Red Eye | 2+ |
| Sinuses | 2+ |
| Sore Throat | 2+ |
| Urinary Tract Infection | 13+ (female only) |
| Vaginal Infection (yeast/bacterial vaginosis) | 18+ |
| Vomiting | 2+ |
Emergency rooms are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week for severe or life-threatening conditions. Conditions that require emergency care include excessive bleeding, broken bones, chest pain or trouble breathing. Emergency services include diagnostic testing and access to specialists.
Examples of symptoms and conditions treated by emergency departments can include:
- Symptoms of a heart attack, including severe chest pain, sweating and shortness of breath.
- Profuse bleeding or blood loss that continues even after direct pressure has been placed on the wound.
- Severe abdominal pain.
- Sudden dizziness, weakness, loss of coordination, balance or vision problems, which are signs of stroke.
- High fever and vomiting that continues nonstop for several hours.
- Signs of meningitis for adults: severe headaches, neck/joint pain and stiffness, vomiting, high temperature, sensitivity to light or babies and small children: high-pitched whimpering/crying, lethargy, fussiness, restlessness, high fever, vomiting, cold extremities, refusing food, pale or blotchy skin.
- Seizures lasting longer than five minutes.
- Injuries occurring from an accident or fall - intense back or neck pain, obvious compound fractures and/or dislocations of bones, deep cuts and severe burns.