Emergency Services

UC Health Emergency Medicine is recognized as one of the best Emergency Medicine programs in the country. Our Emergency Medicine training program, established by the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, was the first program of its kind when it was developed in 1970. All UC Health Emergency Medicine physicians are residency-trained in Emergency Medicine, a program that provides four additional years of specialty training.

University of Cincinnati Medical Center is designated as the region’s only Level I trauma center by the American College of Surgeons. With a highly specialized emergency medicine team and the largest number of intensive care beds in the city, UC Health Emergency Medicine is equipped to treat the most complex cases – including victims of serious accidents and injuries. Our experienced physicians are recognized nationally as leaders in their field and are dedicated to providing outstanding patient care, exceeding the expectations of our referring physicians as well as our patients.

West Chester Hospital has been verified as an Emergency Center of Excellence by Emergency Excellence, an organization specializing in emergency department benchmarking. The award recognizes emergency care providers that achieve a higher standard of quality. At West Chester Hospital, the emergency department offers 36 private treatment and exam rooms. The ED is designed to treat patients quickly and efficiently with the best care and latest technology available.

West Chester Hospital received verification as a Level III Trauma Center from the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma in 2015. Our trauma center team is committed to providing the highest quality trauma care to our community, and now has the ability to provide life-saving trauma care closer to home for people who live in the northern Cincinnati region. Many patients will be able to receive the full spectrum of care, as well as follow-up care, at West Chester Hospital based on their level of injury. When a patient’s injuries are severe enough to warrant a higher level of care, we will partner with the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, the region’s only Level I trauma center.

Discovery Driven Medicine for Better Patient Outcomes

As faculty members at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, teaching and research are a large part of what sets UC Health Emergency Medicine apart from other practicing emergency departments. Clinical and basic science research is conducted across the entire spectrum of patients presenting to the emergency department, from ankle sprain to multiple trauma, from flu to pneumonia, and from headache to stroke. Research in emergency medicine often overlaps with other specialties and we enjoy strong collaborations with our UC Health colleagues in neurology, cardiology, trauma, and surgery, as well as with outpatient services and health policy and systems specialists.

UC Health Emergency Medicine understands the need for timely care in response to emergency situations. Our specially trained, board-certified physicians, nurses and other health care professionals are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, responding immediately to patients in need of emergency care.

To improve the patient experience, UC Health Emergency Medicine offers:

  • Air Care & Mobile Care, transporting more than 1,000 flights and 10,000 ground transports annually across the Tri-state. At UC Health, we are one of only five medical transport service programs in the nation to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services (CAMTS) in four separate levels of care. ACMC celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2014. Aviation services are provided by Metro Aviation, Inc.

  • The UC Health adult Burns Clinic provides expert care to patients who are referred from our ER, or other community hospitals and urgent care centers. Appointments are available throughout the week and are available by calling 513-475-8881.

  • Psychiatric Emergency Services – the only program of its kind in southwestern Ohio – provides round-the-clock care to patients in crisis with psychiatric emergencies, or for those experiencing suicidal and/or homicidal feelings. While many hospitals manage psychiatric patients within their medical emergency departments, our multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, nurses, social workers and nurse practitioners quickly assesses and stabilizes patients in our dedicated psychiatric ER then refers them to the appropriate treatment.

  • A Mobile Crisis Mental Health Response Team is available day or night to respond to psychiatric emergencies within the community. Patients who are admitted through our emergency care center and require a stay in the hospital are referred to our dedicated psychiatric inpatient unit.

  • Emergency Social Work Services are provided around the clock for patients and family members admitted through our Center for Emergency Care at UCMC. Our care team provides comprehensive counseling and crisis intervention services.

  • Transitional Care Unit at UCMC for patients who require extended emergency diagnostics, evaluation and treatment.

  • Stroke Diagnosis and Treatment is provided by our experienced emergency medicine physicians, many of whom are members of the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Stroke Team. This team has made major contributions in the areas of stroke treatment and prevention, and provides acute stroke care for the region at all local hospitals. West Chester Hospital received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Bronze Quality Achievement Award in 2015.

  • The Decontamination Room at UCMC is designed for patients who have been involved in chemical spills, or who have highly infectious diseases. Emergency Medical Services personnel bring these patients directly into the decontamination room through a special entrance for the protection of other patients.

  • For the most sensitive of cases, UC Health’s Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner (SAFE) and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) programs provide professional, comprehensive and compassionate care to those who have been sexually assaulted. Our care team, featuring specially trained SANE registered nurses, uses the newest technology and education to provide forensic evidence to law enforcement and prosecutors to assist in the arrest and prosecution of rapists.

  • Our Computerized patient tracking system (Navicare™) at West Chester Hospital lets your family know where you are in the hospital at all times.