CLEARLAKE, Calif. – St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake’s emergency department has instituted rapid medical exams to encourage quicker, more effective care for patients utilizing the emergency department. The rapid medical exams have resulted in decreased wait times and increased patient satisfaction.

The rapid medical exams allow patients with less critical emergency needs, such as smaller cuts and abrasions or cold and flu symptoms, to be seen quickly by a qualified physicians assistant (PA) or family nurse practitioner (FNP) with emergency certification without waiting in the emergency department lobby.

After triage to assess the severity of the injury or condition, patients are invited back to a secondary waiting area and then seen one-by-one for tests or care in a private exam room.

The PA or FNP is able to focus on providing prompt care to lower-acuity cases instead of splitting their attention with more critical cases that require more time. This results in quicker care for patients and faster discharge.

When the rapid medical exams are available, patients and family members are able to sit in the secondary waiting area, which has a television and comfortable chairs, while waiting for test results or further care.

This has a secondary benefit by allowing the other exam rooms to remain available for critical cases, such as traumatic injury or cardiac arrest. Onsite radiology and laboratory services ensure quick turnaround on tests needed for diagnosis or treatment.

“Our emergency providers, nurses and patients have all responded very well to the rapid medical exam approach,” said Beth Brown, RN, director of emergency care at St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake. “We are able to give patients the care they need quickly, which results in better outcomes and a more positive experience for everyone.”

St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake’s emergency room underwent a $12.1 million renovation in 2013, resulting in 3,445 additional square feet and five new patient monitoring rooms with state-of-the-art technology.

The emergency department is staffed by physicians, PAs, FNPs and certified emergency nurses trained in trauma, pediatric advanced life support and advanced cardiac life support, as well as professionals in other disciplines such as laboratory, pharmacy and medical imaging.

The emergency department is located at 15630 18th Ave. in Clearlake.

Visit www.sthelenahospitalclearlake.org for more information.