The Emergency Departments are experiencing high volumes of patients who need care. Please be prepared to wait. The most serious cases are treated first.
Not all health concerns need emergency care. You can also book a virtual visit or go to an urgent care clinic for these concerns. For life-threatening symptoms, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital.
Thank you for your patience.
Intensive care units (ICUs) provide 24/7 care for patients who are very sick or need close monitoring. This guide helps families and care partners learn what to expect and how the team keeps patients safe and comfortable.
If you or a loved one is staying in the ICU, we encourage you to bring:
To help us care for your loved one and keep everyone safe, please follow these guidelines:
Many patients in the ICU need life support or life-sustaining treatment. These treatments help or replace the work of one or more organs. For example, a machine may help a patient breathe, or a tube in their stomach may provide food.
We ask all patients about their wishes for life support and life-sustaining treatment. This helps us know what kinds of treatments they would want if they became too sick to tell us.
If your loved one has written down their wishes in a Power of Attorney or a Living Will, please bring a copy. These documents tell us what treatments they would want and who can make decisions for them. We review them and add them to the care chart so the entire care team can follow them.
Sometimes patients cannot speak for themselves and do not have these documents. In these cases, a substitute decision maker is chosen to speak for the patient. This person shares the patient’s goals, wishes, and beliefs with the care team.
The Healthcare Consent Act guides how a substitute decision maker is chosen. It follows this order:
A substitute decision maker must be willing, available, and able to take on this role. If the first person cannot do it, we move to the next person on the list. If there is no Power of Attorney or suitable family member, a guardian can be appointed by the court.
Patients in the ICU are at a very high risk of getting infections, which can make them sicker. Keeping hands clean is one of the most important ways to protect them.
All visitors and healthcare providers must clean their hands:
The best way to clean your hands is with hand sanitizer. There are yellow hand sanitizer dispensers at every bedside and throughout the ICUs. If your hands look dirty, wash them with soap and water. Make sure to dry your hands completely using a paper towel.
Sometimes you may need to take extra safety steps before you visit a patient. A nurse on their care team will explain what you need to do. Following these steps helps protect the patient, other visitors, and team members.
Taking care of yourself while a loved one is sick is hard, but it is very important. When you care for yourself, you have more energy and strength to support your loved one. Here are some ways to take care of yourself:
It can be hard to leave the hospital while your loved one is here. Ask a nurse to help you find a good time to take a break, so you can rest and sleep.
We encourage you to visit your loved one in the ICU. When a patient first arrives, the care team needs to take care of urgent medical needs. It may take some time before you can visit. Waiting can be stressful, but we ask for your patience. We will keep you updated and let you know as soon as you can visit.
There may be times when you are not able to visit. For example, a patient may be having a test or procedure. Please talk to the care team for more information.
Please do not visit if you are feeling sick. Patients in the ICU can get infections more easily. Only visiting when you are healthy helps keep patients safe.
It may help children who are close to the patient to visit with them. Parents are generally the best judge of whether a child is ready to visit. If you have questions or concerns, please talk to the care team.
ICU A also has a quiet room for families to use. Please talk to a team member if you would like to use the quiet room.
Please choose one family member to be the main contact, or spokesperson, for your loved one. This person will get information and regular updates from the care team. Then they can share it with other family members and friends.
We will give the spokesperson a unique four-digit privacy code. Each time they call for information, they will need to give the code to the nurse or clinical secretary. This code keeps your loved one’s health information private. Only the spokesperson should use the code.
When you share your compliments and concerns, you help make care better. We value hearing from patients, families, care partners, and community members. Your feedback helps us understand what we are doing well and where we can improve.
