Emergency Services
Here When You Need Us With 24-hour Emergency Care
The NorthBay Medical Center and NorthBay VacaValley Hospital emergency departments provide the highest level of care available in upper Solano County. Our modern, state-of-the-art facilities were recently expanded and updated to offer the most advanced medical technology available to save lives while allowing more patient comfort and privacy. Dedicated to emergency care, our board-certified physicians and nurses receive specialized training to treat any urgent medical problem with compassion and respect.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I bring to the Emergency Department?
Q. What should I bring to the Emergency Department?
A. If you need emergency treatment, a triage nurse will need information about your current state of health and medical history, and a registration representative will ask for your health insurance information. To avoid delays, be sure to bring the following:
- Insurance identification card and Medicare card, if applicable.
- Any medications you are taking, including non-prescription (over the counter) drugs, vitamins and nutritional supplements. Specific information on labels can be helpful.
- Names and numbers of two people to contact to notify regarding your health status
- Only carry a limited amount of cash. Do not bring unnecessary credit cards or valuables.
Q. How can I prepare for a medical emergency?
A. To avoid wasting precious minutes in an emergency situation, make sure important health information is readily accessible. If you are incapacitated, emergency personnel will look for identification and health alerts to provide the proper medical care and to contact your family.
Carry a card in your wallet or purse with the following information:
- Name and telephone number of your regular doctor
- Name and numbers (home, work and cell numbers) of at least two emergency contacts
- Allergies or chronic medical ailments you may have or if you are pregnant
- Medications you take
- If you have an advanced directive for health care or POLST and where to locate it
If you have a chronic health problem or severe allergy to medications, wear a health alert bracelet or necklace indicating:
- Your name and phone number
- The medical condition or allergy
- Name or phone number of physician who has your medical records
If you have completed an Advanced Directives for Health Care:
- Give a copy to your primary care doctor for your general health records
- Give a copy to your emergency contacts
- If you drive, keep a copy in the glove compartment of your car.
Q. How long will I have to wait for treatment in the Emergency Room?
A. The time it takes to receive emergency care depends on the severity of your symptoms or injuries and needs of other patients at any given moment. Wait times in an emergency services department are impossible to calculate since hospitals must treat those with life-threatening emergencies first. Long waits in hospital emergency departments are not uncommon for those with more stable conditions. A patient suffering a heart attack or an accident victim with uncontrolled bleeding will be treated immediately, before the patient with a fever or broken leg.
All emergency departments must follow a system for determining priority for treatment. This process of sorting patients by severity of illness or injury is called “triage” from the French word meaning “to sort.”
Emergency room personnel are alerted when patients are coming by ambulance, and begin to prioritize them before they arrive. This prioritization is continuously re-evaluated based on changes in the patient’s condition and indications from tests and procedures. While the ED physician may not be able to resolve your condition completely, he will do his best to stabilize your condition and/or help releive your pain.