Emergency care
Emergency care is the treatment of unexpected, severe medical injuries or infections. It is typically delivered in an emergency room or an ambulance. Our emergency medicine physicians stabilize your condition as quickly as possible to prepare you for the next step of care or discharge.
Emergency room (ER) in Palm Beach, Florida
When you have an emergency, we know you only want the best.
With more than 131,000 annual emergency room visits, HCA Florida JFK Hospital offers access to some of the most experienced emergency physicians in Palm Beach County, Florida. Our main emergency room offers 24-hour care with access to advanced emergency care services. Our emergency care staff is also dedicated to taking care of your whole family. We'll work together as a team to get you and your loved ones back to feeling your best.
Our emergency room services
Our emergency room provides high-quality emergency care by employing some of the best physicians and using some of the latest technologies.
We also offer:
- Advanced diagnostic technology
- Board-certified emergency physicians
- Complete access to all specialty services and physicians at our hospital
- Effective treatment for patients of all ages — kids, adults and seniors
- Emergency-trained nurses and support staff
- Minimal wait times
Accredited Chest Pain Center
As part of our dedication to heart care, our hospital is recognized as an Accredited Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention) and Resuscitation by the American College of Cardiology. This recognition emphasizes our commitment to early identification and treatment of heart attacks.
Additionally, our physicians and emergency staff use advanced cardiac technology that allows us to view electrocardiograms (EKGs) provided by emergency medical services (EMS) while you are in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. This time-saving technology allows for faster evaluation and application of critical care so you receive the care you need, when you need it.
This system also quickly identifies a type of heart attack that involves complete blockage of a heart artery: a ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Early STEMI treatment minimizes damage, which increases survival rates and reduces or eliminates complications.
Thrombectomy Capable Stroke Center
We are designated as a Thrombectomy Capable Stroke Center by the Joint Commission, recognizing our fast treatment and positive outcomes for people who experience a stroke.
In these cases, our neuro-ICU provides continuing care for you after your initial treatment in the emergency room. Our neuro-ICU is an 18-bed unit staffed with nurses who have received special training in caring for neurological conditions.
We also offer a specialized stroke rehabilitation program.
Multiple emergency room locations
In West Palm Beach and Lake Worth we provide access to conveniently located emergency rooms, so no matter where you are, emergency care is never far away.
Aside from our main hospital ER, our locations include:
Shorter emergency room wait times
When it comes to emergency care, our goal is to continually work toward enhancing the care you receive, while reducing our wait times. This ensures you get the care you need, when you need it most.
Our wait times are updated every 30 minutes and are available on our website and digital screens on roadside billboards throughout the region.
To find out the wait times of the HCA Florida emergency room nearest to you, check the top of our website or text "ER" to 32222.
When to go to the emergency room
We understand it can be hard to know what type of medical care you need, like whether you should go to the emergency room or wait for your doctor's office to open.
However, we want you to feel secure about your choice for care, which is why we've created a list of symptoms that may indicate you need to visit the emergency room:
- Back pain, when it is unbearable or accompanied by fever, numbness, weakness, confusion, slurred speech, vision loss or loss of control over bladder or bowels
- Broken bones, when the pain is severe or there is a visible deformity
- Chest pain, when it is crushing or squeezing and accompanied by other heart attack symptoms, such as shortness of breath or nausea
- Concussion, when you have lost consciousness, even briefly, or experience amnesia, vomiting, slurred speech or a seizure
- Flu, when symptoms become severe, such as having trouble breathing, vomiting uncontrollably or becoming dehydrated
- Side pain, when it is severe and occurs in the lower right stomach, side or back or is accompanied by fever, nausea, diarrhea or blood in the urine
- Stomach pain, when accompanied by a hard or tender stomach, nausea, shortness of breath, fever or irregular heartbeat
- Trouble breathing, when breathing stops, is noisy or high-pitched and comes with pain in the chest or severe shortness of breath
If you are unsure if your symptoms require an emergency room visit, you can speak to a nurse 24/7 by calling our Consult-A-Nurse® team at (561) 548-4535.
What to expect at the emergency room
When you get to the emergency room, one of our triage nurses will assess your symptoms and vital signs. Next, a registration clerk will collect your insurance card (if available) and other information.
We medically screen, evaluate and stabilize all patients — whether or not they have insurance or are able to pay.
Anyone who has severe, life-threatening illnesses or injuries will be treated first. Everyone else will be treated in the order they arrive.
Before discharge, we encourage you to ask our emergency care teams any questions you have. It is also useful for you to keep all of your paperwork, discharge information and medicines or prescriptions together after you leave the emergency room.
After discharge, our emergency department staff will reach out to your primary care provider to ensure they are updated on your care.
What to bring to the emergency room
When coming to the emergency room, we recommend you bring:
- A list of medicines you currently take
- A list of known allergies
- Copies of results from recent medical tests, if available
- Personal care preferences and restrictions
- A responsible adult or phone number for someone to contact
JFK Hospital - Fast Emergency team - :30 second spot
Safe ER care during COVID-19 at JFK Hospital
The Healthy Living Blog
Fresh knowledge and insights in and around healthcare industry.
Looking for a location?
Our Emergency care Locations