Preparing for Your Visit
To ensure efficient care, patients should bring:
- Photo identification and insurance cards
- A list of current medications and allergies
- Medical history details
- An advocate to help relay health information if needed
Centra provides translation and interpreter services for patients requiring assistance with communication.
Understanding the Triage Process
Upon arrival at the Emergency Department, patients are assessed through a triage process that prioritizes care based on the severity of their condition. We do not treat patients based on arrival. All patients are important to us, but priority must be given to emergent or urgent patients. Patients are encouraged to notify the front desk if their condition worsens or improves during the wait.
Centra Employs a Five-Level Triage System.
- Resuscitation – Requires immediate, life-saving interventions.
- Emergent – High-risk situation or acute symptoms that could rapidly deteriorate.
- Urgent – Stable but requires resources like labs or imaging.
- Less urgent – Requires limited resources and is less likely to deteriorate.
- Non-urgent – Can wait; minimal or no resources needed
What A Typical Emergency Department Visit Looks Like:
Step 1: Check-in/registration – Check in to let us know that you are here and provide a brief description of your condition. This will add you to the treatment queue and let us know to prepare for triage.
Step 2: Triage—After checking in, you will be called to the Triage area. A Caregiver will prioritize patients according to the severity of their illness or injury. During triage, a caregiver may administer vitals, perform lab work, or perform imaging, depending on the condition.
After your screening in triage, you will either be guided back to the waiting room or a holding location until a proper treatment area is available. Once the proper treatment area is available, a caregiver will take you back for an in-depth clinical evaluation. Early lab results may be returned through your online personal medical account with HealthyU.
Step 3: Medical Exam/Treatment—Depending on the severity of your illness or injury, you will be treated in one of three areas, each designed to provide you with the best care and the proper resources.
- F Pod – Patients prioritized as non-urgent and requiring minimal resources.
- Acute Bays—Patients prioritized as urgent who may need a high level of advanced treatment and regular monitoring.
- Major Bays - Patients prioritized as emergent and needing special monitoring or advanced treatment.
- *Hallway Spaces Are Used in Certain Situations. To treat you as quickly as possible, we may sometimes assign you to a hallway bed or chair.
Step 4: Admit or Discharge—Once the medical exam is complete and the necessary test results are received and reviewed, your provider will decide whether to discharge you or admit you to the hospital.
When the caregiver determines that no further immediate treatment is needed, they will discharge you home or recommend you follow up with your regular doctor or a specialist. While finishing your treatment or waiting for the final lab results, we may place you in a holding area while you wait.
Admission to the hospital might be necessary if you require more extensive treatment, procedures, or ongoing monitoring of your condition. Our great inpatient teams will see you through the rest of your care and recovery!
Check out our tips on how to make your visit to the Emergency Department more comfortable.
