Emergency Services
The Emergency Department or Trauma Emergency Center provides initial treatment to patients with a broad spectrum of illnesses or injuries, some of which may be life-threatening and require immediate attention.
The Emergency team includes doctors, nurses, physician’s assistants, paramedics and other highly skilled healthcare professionals. Emergency rooms are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help you and your family if an emergency occurs. The emergency room is not a place where non-emergency conditions are best treated. Urgent care centers or primary care physician offices are appropriately equipped to diagnose and treat common illnesses and provide routine care.
Whether you arrive by private vehicle or ambulance, you will be assessed by a Registered Nurse right away to determine the severity of your illness or injury. This is the “triage” process. Patients with more serious problems may be seen before patients with less severe symptoms or injuries.
Emergency Services are available at Saint Francis Hospital and Saint Francis Hospital at Broken Arrow.
At Saint Francis Hospital, services are provided through the Trauma Emergency Center. In 2005, the Hospital’s Trauma Emergency Center was one of the busiest in the state, providing care to approximately 77,000 patients. Physicians, the Trauma Emergency Center staff and the inpatient staff provide immediate consultation or care to trauma victims and patients with complex medical problems from Oklahoma and surrounding states. Trauma Emergency Services also provides educational programs, conferences and continuing education courses for physicians, nurses, pre-hospital care providers, and the community.
Tulsa Life Flight is based within Saint Francis Hospital’s Trauma Emergency Center. The Hospital’s Trauma Emergency Center established the first emergency helicopter ambulance service in Oklahoma in 1979. Tulsa Life Flight, now a partnership between Saint Francis Hospital and St. John Medical Center, is one of the busiest air ambulance services in the nation. On average, it flies 130 medical missions and provides an average of 40 ground mobile intensive care unit transports per month. Tulsa Life Flight celebrated 38,000 accident free flights in June 2006. It works with volunteer fire services, first responders, local police, fire, sheriff, ambulance services, Oklahoma Highway Patrol and local hospitals in providing patient care. It is one of a few helicopter ambulance programs that carries blood products on all trauma flights, and it provides documentation of the trauma scenes utilizing digital cameras to assist the trauma surgeons in better understanding the significance of the accident scene. Tulsa Life Flight was honored with the “Advanced Service of the Year” award by the Oklahoma Emergency Medical Technician Association, which recognizes an advanced life support service for excellence. Tulsa Life Flight is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services.
The Emergency Room at Saint Francis Hospital at Broken Arrow is also open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Emergency room nurses are required to be certified in all of the most current life-saving techniques including cardiac, pediatrics and trauma and many have over 10 years experience in the Broken Arrow Emergency Department. Every Broken Arrow Emergency Room physician is board-certified and experienced in emergency care.
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