When you are in pain, scared, confused, and looking for answers, you are probably thinking it might be time for a trip to the ER. While people may know when an ER visit is merited, the process that comes after that if you still need help can be a bit more complex. Fortunately, at NW Indiana ER & Hospital, you can often continue to stay in the same facility thanks to the inpatient wing.
Aside from transfer cases involving an ICU stay or emergency surgery, NW Indiana ER & Hospital is able to allow ER patients to stay. If the patient does require an ICU stay or emergency surgery, a neighboring facility that has a transfer agreement with NW Indiana ER & Hospital will be able to house and care for that patient.
While most of the patients that stay in the inpatient wing come from the ER, NW Indiana ER & Hospital’s relationships with physicians in the area also bring in patients.
“Another way that we see patients in our inpatient wing is through direct admission privileges we give area physicians. This is, of course, pending prior authorization much like imaging, but we allow the physicians that we work with to do direct admin so they can skip over our ER,” said Director of Marketing Kevin Frazier. “If there is a bed available, they can admit their patient for observation by us or they can come in and make rounds and see their patients themselves.”
If hearing great stories from their patients about their stays is not enough to convince local physicians to develop a relationship with NW Indiana ER & Hospital, they can also take a tour of the facility and see that everything is readily available, including an on-site pharmacy.
During inpatient stays, patients are housed in private rooms with access to a private bathroom, TV, three meals per day from the kitchens, and DoorDash and Grubhub opportunities in addition to the needed medical observation and medications. The inpatient wing operates with comfort in mind where nurses are available at the press of a button and patients do not have to deal with random checks in the ER.
“The inpatient wing contrasts the ER where we’re constantly observing a patient because they’re in for an emergency – we want to know how they’re doing, what’s going on, and how we can treat them,” Frazier said. “On the inpatient side, it’s strictly observation. We already know the issue and, to a certain extent, we already know what to expect.”
After patients who began in the ER spend time with the certified physicians and experience NW Indiana ER & Hospital’s level of care, they choose to stay in the inpatient wing where they know they will be well cared for and comfortable.
“We’re dedicated to delivering a higher standard of care because it’s what the folks here in the Region deserve,” Frazier said. “We are 100% focused on delivering excellent patient outcomes and excellent compassionate care.”
Discover more about NW Indiana ER & Hospital at www.nwindianaer.com.